Custody
by Team Alpha Wolf Squadron
Summary: Bruce and Talia are at war over Damian. Needing a place to stay Lex willingly offers his manor in Smallville. Timelines and characters have been pulled from different places. Superbat in later chapters
1. Chapter 1

Damian was a warm weight against his chest as they made their way through the last stretch of their journey. Three days they had been travelling through the mountain pass to the next village hoping to shake off their attackers.

Another hour and Bruce saw lights ahead. Hurrying his pace he found himself in a little holiday village that catered to the tourists that deemed to visit. There was a hotel relaxing next to the ski slope and Bruce breathed a sigh of relief at the anticipated warmth he could see seeping out the hotels doors.

It was late out meaning that most of the tourists were relaxing further in or in their rooms. The lobby was deserted thankfully and all it took was a pitiful smile at the receptionist and he was being handed the cheapest room they had. He thanked whatever God there was that Damian was asleep as he turned to their room, the amount of cooing the receptionist was doing would have had him in fits.

Dropping Damian off he checked the hotel for weak spots and any unusual activity before hacking into their system and looking at their customers. For all he knew his attackers could have reached or been stationed here for ages. The computer turned up nothing unusual, though there was the odd appearance of Lex's name in the computer. Bruce hoped it was just a booking error as he went back to his room.

Being a father of a seven year old meant waking up early. Naturally Damian was jumping on him at five the next morning since he hadn't been the one walking through the night with two bags and a small child.

"They have a pool, can I go swimming?" He asked in perfect Arabic.

"Fine," Bruce agreed turning over and getting a couple more hours of sleep "Be in the breakfast room at ten though."

Damian agreed as he shot out towards the pool. He was soaking when they met up at the breakfast buffet. Coming straight from the pool he dripped water everywhere he touched which made Bruce let out an amused huff as he took one of the five plates Damian was loading.

They took a seat at the back of the dining room where Damian relayed him with his previous activities. "Naturally I overtook them but I expect they'll be relaying something else to their parents," He bragged finishing off his third plate.

"That's nice," Bruce told him distractedly. Someone on the opposite end of the room had took his attention.

The computer hadn't been lying, Lex Luther himself was seated in the breakfast room and hissing quietly into his phone. It had been years since Bruce had seen his old friend what with him leaving the country after dropping out of college. He vaguely hoped Lex didn't recognise him then reasoned that he had changed so much and looked nothing like his old self to give Lex any reason to suspect it was him.

"Enemy?" Damian had picked up on Bruce's target.

"No, old friend actually," Damian's shoulders relaxed "Keep your guard up Damian. The Luther's aren't someone we want to cross," Damian arched an eyebrow "Yet," he added.

Nodding his agreement his son went to fetch another plate from the breakfast buffet making Bruce wonder if he was under feeding Damian somehow.

After dragging Damian away from the pool they collected their things and made their way to the reception. Another girl was manning it this time and seemed just as taken with Damian as the last one had been.

"Aw look at him trying to be all serious," She cooed making Damian bristle and stand straighter.

"Could you please keep looking," Bruce pressed. They needed to get out of here in the next two days.

Bruce straightened before Damian turned his glare behind him. He heard the rich leather shoes tapping their way across the floor and knew that the drawling voice could only belong to Lex "So this is what you've been doing?"

Turning to face his friend Bruce wasn't even going to deny it was him "What I've been doing?" Lex nodded to Damian.

"We all thought you'd been kidnapped or sent to some secret clinic. All of which resulted in your untimely death naturally," Lex smirked keeping his eyes on Damian greedily.

"Naturally. But you can see the rumours were wrong. Now if there wasn't anything you needed I must ask you to leave us," Bruce stated and turned back to the receptionist who turned to her computer again.

"We seem to have two for a flight to New York," She offered.

Lex pushed in "There's no need," He grabbed Bruce's arm and steered him away from the desk "Honestly if you needed a lift home all you had to do was ask."

"I don't need your pity," Bruce pulled his arm away.

"It's not pity," Lex faced him his face sincere "We're friends. It's what we do for each other."

Carding his hand through his long hair Bruce sighed "I know, sorry. We're just in a hurry."

"Trouble?" Lex guessed.

"You have no idea," Bruce muttered calling Damian over in German. He would have to get started on those English lessons soon. "Damian this is Lex Luther. Lex this is my son Damian," He spoke in English this time. Damian understood English but he couldn't speak it yet. Bruce figured it was all the other languages he knew making it slightly complicated for him to wrap his head around another one so soon.

"It's nice to meet you," Lex shook his hand. Turning back to Bruce he told him that "You're both coming back with me. It's settled."

"I'd rather not Lex," Bruce argued. Lex looked like he had a retort ready so Bruce explained "We're trying to lie low. There's all the buisness in Gotham I have to sort out and then there's… I just can't come back with you. The publicity you have would ruin whatever chance we have at getting our lives back on track."

Lex nodded but didn't seem to be giving up "You can stay with me," he offered warming to the idea now he'd said it "Listen, my dad sent me to this tiny town in the country. There's literally no one there and not to mention, no press. It's ideal for you if you're laying low, after all it's the whole reason I'm there. Come on, it'll be nice to catch up," he bargained.

There were so many things wrong with agreeing to Luther. For one there was the fact that he would be in Lex's debt, something he never wanted. As for the others, well, they could all be swept under the rug at the one thing that had him agreeing to Lex's proposal. If there was one thing he had learnt in his travels it was to keep his enemies close. Lex knew he was going to the country, he could out him and Damian at any moment. It was better to keep a close eye on him. Damian seemed to realise the same thing since he told Bruce to take him up on his offer also.

"Alright. But your dad better not be hanging around," Lex cringed. "Oh God," Bruce sighed but went to get his bags nevertheless.

Lex's private plane was ideal for those who wanted to enter the country discreetly. For one there wasn't any security checks meaning Bruce could sneak all the weapons he and Damian had accumulated over the years onto plane.

"So can he speak English or just understand it?" Lex gestured to Damian who was talking a mile a minute in Bruce's ears.

"Understand it. No Damian you can't have a plane," He answered back to the disgruntled seven year old. Swiftly changing languages he addressed Lex again "He knows a lot of languages and I think it's just adding another one to his list that has him a bit wary of speaking it."

"How many does he know?" Lex had taken an interest in Damian since they had met.

"Too many for seven year old," Bruce answered and switched the conversation back onto Lex. They spent the plane ride reminiscing about their school days and Bruce even broached the topic of Queen as the plane landed.

An argument with the driver of Lex's limo later and they were passing fields and farms to the looming shadow of Lex's manor house.

"Lying low?" Damian smirked making Bruce scoff and Lex raise an eyebrow. Bruce waved his concern away as he gathered the two bags and Damian into his arms. The boy was starting to stumble as he walked.

"I've had rooms prepared but if you like I can put another bed in yours," Lex offered. Bruce nodded, he didn't like to leave Damian on a night no matter how deadly the boy was. Bruce put him in the large bed as the maid directed another bed into the room. "He really is quite cute," Lex remarked "It's actually how I recognised you. Damian's almost the split of you at that age."

"I know," Bruce sighed. "So what time's breakfast?"

"Ten. But if you want something sooner just ask someone," Bruce nodded "Also if you hear my father, I won't out you but he might," Lex warned and bade him goodnight.

Bruce turned the door and checked the hall before checking the window in their room. Happy that no one could get past him he curled up, ignoring the bed, next to Damian.

A familiar drawl was lecturing haughtily on the merits of war plans somewhere. Waking up slowly Bruce had a second the register the annoying voice of Lionel Luther before the panic set in. It was eleven. Meaning not only had he missed breakfast but Damian would have been up for hours.

Dressing himself quickly his hissed Damian's name in the room waiting for a reply. When none came he checked the hall and the rooms beyond.

"Dami? Baby Bat?" The drawl was getting louder so Bruce stayed quiet as he passed the half open door and continued to the entrance hall. Checking everywhere he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Damian doing pull ups on the Luther's chandelier. "Dami," He called and held his arms out when the boy looked down. Damian never got a chance to jump, footsteps of someone stalking angrily sounded and Bruce made a snap decision and joined Damian in the Luther's light.

Damian was smirking at him as he pulled the boy closer "You realise this could snap," he remarked looking up at where it joined the ceiling.

Bruce knew as well as he did that it could support both of them. Training that had been ingrained into them made sure they always knew which surfaces could support their weight before they tried it. So he didn't bother looking up instead he kept his eyes on a black haired man that was muttering angrily under his breath. The one who paused when Damian whispered to him, like he could almost hear them. He continued on after his pause closely followed by a calling Lionel.

Lex chose that time to come into the room just as the door shut. He was sweaty from something and had taken a long drink, looking up and caught them. Choking ensured "What the hell?"

Bruce rolled his eyes and leapt down "Your father just passed," he told Lex patting him on the back. He left out the part where Damian had been playing on the chandelier beforehand. "Seemed awful excited about something."

Lex waved Bruce's patting off and regained his breath "Probably something about Clark no doubt," was that jealousy he detected? "He has a sudden fascination with him."

Bruce pulled a face"Ew!"

"Not like that," Lex reprimanded. "Clark's a friend of mine but father seems to see something. Something that has him treating Clark like he's family."

"I reiterate, ew!"

Laughing this time Lex stopped trying to explain and asked about their plans for the day. Once asked Lex was glad to give him access to a computer and offered to take Damian for the day.

Damian had other ideas "There were farms," He told Bruce "With animals."

"Fine." He told Lex Damian was going to play in his garden which seemed to satisfy him. When Lex had walked away he warned his son "If anyone finds you…"

"Play the innocent seven year old, I know father. And if someone else shows up show no mercy," Bruce nodded and they parted ways.

Reclining in Lex's study he checked up on Alfred and his city. Mob bosses were the new royalty of the city. With their wallets bigger than boats they had bought up almost all of Gotham. What didn't belong to them belonged to him which was even worse. His name was being used as a means to sell arms to mob bosses and terrorists while the criminals who ran his company grew rich on the suffering of others. The only bright side was that Alfred was still in possession of his trust fund and the rest of his inheritance. Leaving him in his will had been the smartest thing Bruce had done.

Finishing his check earlier than Lex's plans for dinner he decided to go bother his old friend. "Lexy," He called walking into the room the maid pointed "I'm bored. Come and entertain me," He purred in an imitation to one of Lex's college girlfriends. Stopping when he entered Bruce found Lex in chuckles and the girl he was spotting casting a curious eye over him. "Oops," he remarked.

Lex finally realised there was still the girl in the room and sobered up "Ah, Lana maybe we should take a break."

"Sure," she smiled and walked out the door.

"Sorry," Bruce breathed.

"It's fine," Lex waved off "What did you want?"

"I'm bored," Bruce repeated.

Lex appeared thoughtful "Well, I have this one idea but I'm not sure if I'd be being offensive or not."

"I'm intrigued, tell me more," Bruce listened.

Lex came forward and twirled some of Bruce's hair "How fond are you of this look?"

Smirking Bruce realised what he was suggesting "I'm guessing the barber's been here for hours."

"I didn't want to be too presumptuous. For all I knew you liked this mountain man look," Lex defended.

Laughing he followed Lex towards a room where a man was waiting with a razor and scissors "It was more out of necessity that I adopted this look actually." He took the seat appointed to him "I don't suppose he could do Damian too?"

The man nodded and Lex agreed "I'm sure we can corner him after dinner."

Dinner involved Lex wolf whistling at Bruce's freshly cut appearance and Damian narrowing his eyes at what he knew was an upcoming grooming trip. He supposed it was his own fault Damian hated hair cuts. With nothing but a knife most of the time Damian's hair cuts have been interesting over the years.

"My head feels ten times lighter," Bruce remarked "Though I will miss swishing that hair around. You know like on the adverts," He did a mock hair flick making Damian snort. "You better get your last flicks in now Dami," He warned as the boy scowled again.

"You look more like yourself now," Lex complimented.

"If by more like myself you mean more handsome and masculine then yes. I am," Bruce joked. He missed the easy banter that came with having friends. It seemed Lex had too since he didn't deem to retort to Bruce's comment. "So that girl I saw this afternoon. Girlfriend or…?"

Lex narrowed his eyes playfully "She's in my employment," He tried to kick Bruce under the table as he 'oohed' "Not like that. The reason she was around here was she's been on the wrong end of a fight too many times and asked me to toughen her up. That's all."

"That's all?" It didn't seem like that was all to Bruce. Lex had all the tell tale signs of attraction growing. "Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure," Lex agreed "And if you're thinking of moving in on her I'd suggest you reconsider. Her boyfriend wouldn't be too happy if you did," he smirked thinking he had gotten Bruce.

Bruce scoffed "Sorry to disappoint but she's not my type."

"Oh?"

"After," He motioned to Damian whose head shot up at even the briefest mention of his mother "I kind of went off women," He confessed fiddling with his drink.

"Went off women or 'went off women'?" Lex asked curiously.

Bruce laughed "It's like we're on the playground. The second one and before you get all up yourself you're not my type."

Lex pretended to be hurt and soon the conversation drifted onto Lionel's recent crimes against humanity. Bruce would occasionally speak in Arabic to Damian about his day to which he got a monologue about the chickens he'd found and how safe he'd been on his travels. By the end of the meal they had established a plan for the next day. Lex was insistent that they all go see the Talon which was his little coffee shop in the small town. Bruce was against it at first but Lex reminded him that most people in Smallville only knew who he was because Lionel had ruined so many people's lives here. They weren't to know who Bruce Wayne is or even what he would look like if they did see him.

Bruce performed the customary checks that night wondering how long they would stay here before they would have to move. So far they had been lucky. Three nights without an attack could only mean that she hadn't tracked them yet. It would only be a matter of time though.

He slipped into the soft bed of the Luther mansion and kissed Damian good night as he turned to the window to keep watch.

Bruce had overslept again and began to wonder why Damian had stopped waking him up on a morning. Stumbling sleepily into Lex's study he found Damian in tears with Lex trying to comfort him. A man was standing in front of them with a concerned but stern frown on his face with a worried teenager beside him.

"Damian?" Spotting him Damian ran to Bruce and buried his head in his midriff. Inwardly rolling his eyes as he recognised Damian's 'when in trouble' act he picked him up and pretended to comfort him "What'd you do?"

"He caught me chasing his chickens," Damian told him sobbing between talking for effect "I saw a cow and the boy managed to sneak up on me," He pointed towards the teen.

"I'm so sorry Mr Kent," Lex apologised. The farmer wasn't paying attention to him.

"He your son?" He pointed to Damian. Bruce nodded "I caught him in our farm spooking the animals."

"He won't do it again," Bruce promised casting a meaningful look at Damian. The boy nodded rolling his eyes into Bruce's shoulder.

"Make sure he doesn't. That's all we need, the hens not laying eggs and all because your boy fancied seeing which could run the fastest," Mr Kent went on.

"Pa," the teen warned. Bruce caught the low note and registered it with the second voice he had heard coming from Lex's study yesterday. This was the man who had heard Damian. "He's only a kid. I used to chase them when I was little as well."

"That's not the point Clark. People like him think they can let their sons do what they like all because they've got a bit of money. Don't care that people like us have got to live off some of their enjoyment," Mr Kent accused pointing a finger at both him and Lex.

"Fan of yours?" Bruce smirked wishing he hadn't when Mr Kent glared at him. He looked to be about to say something more when Bruce bolted from the room. Something had moved in the room. He cursed himself for not checking the rest of the house as he sprinted to their room. He heard Lex calling behind him but ignored it in favour of setting Damian down and giving him his sword.

"How many?" Damian asked drawing his weapon.

"Two. Men and camouflaged in red. Come on," He grabbed Damian's hand as he opened the window. Going first he got a good grip on the side of the manor and checked either side as he helped Damian out.

Movement to his right had Damian swinging an arch around his head as Bruce scaled them down the wall. Solid ground was where the other had decided to cut them off. He was quick to disarm Damian so Bruce took over and set his son on the other one that was quickly following them to the ground.

He tried to break Bruce's leg so he trapped the other man's foot and broke his instead. A deep cry sounded behind him so Damian wasn't hurt just yet. He faced his opponent again and warded off two strikes to the face as he power kicked him into the dirt. Another kick to the jaw had the man out cold. Turning he saw Damian straddling his opponents neck and depriving him of oxygen. A minute later he too was out cold.

Lex found them as they were dragging the men towards the driveway "Bruce," He spotted the bodies "What they hell?" Mr Kent and the teen weren't far behind Lex.

"I told you I'm in trouble and now I have to go. I'm sorry about your manor, if they've broke anything I'll reimburse you when I get my money back." He carried both the men to the edge of the driveway. They wouldn't return to the manor now they had been beaten, it wasn't in a warriors code to try again when they were hurt.

"Wait! You can't leave, you just got here! Bruce whatever trouble you're in I can help. If you need money I'll gladly give it to you," Lex bargained. Bruce wondered how lonely Lex was cooped up in his manor. He had said that Clark was his friend but if Lex was this wound up then their friendship couldn't be that good.

"It's not about money," Bruce explained coming back over "I don't need anything from you. You can't help."

"I thought we were friends," Lex pulled.

"We are."

"Then let me help." he bargained.

"You can't. Those people there aren't here for my money, they're here to kill me. Damian's mother didn't like that I ended up taking him and she's trying to get him back," Bruce confessed.

Lex looked shocked as he surveyed the assassins "The mother of your son wants you dead?"

"Yes, which is why I can't stay here and you can't help. She wants Damian and I'm not willing to give him up," Bruce stated.

Lex looked worriedly around like there were more of the assassins waiting to pop out "You can't leave at least. Stay here."

"You've just seen why I can't," Bruce reasoned.

"No I've just seen why you have to. You said it yourself you need a place to stay that's low key and lets face it Bruce they're going to come for you wherever you are. At least if you're here I can help hide you somewhat. She'll be expecting you to move won't she? This way you'll have the upper hand for a while. Enough to sort out a plan," Lex grew calmer with every word he spoke.

Sighing Bruce agreed with Lex's logic. Knowing he'd won Lex relaxed and turned back to Mr Kent pretending not to hear Bruce's "You sounded so much like Lionel there," as he stopped Damian from mutilating the unconscious assassins.

"I'm so sorry for what happened. I'll make sure that Damian stays away from your farm," Lex tried, probably secretly hoping they hadn't took notice of what just happened.

Mr Kent nodded seemingly willing to play along with Lex's little delusion. The black haired teen Clark on the other hand was staring calculatedly at Bruce.


	2. Chapter 2

Mr Kent seemed more than happy to leave when they got back to Lex's study. Making an excuse up he left within five minutes. Despite his father's insistence that he was needed on the farm Clark stayed a while longer to talk to Lex. Bruce left them to it, preferring instead to check Damian over for bruises.

"Stay still. Daddy only has so many hands," Damian squirmed as he applied a plaster to his stomach. A knife must have caught him when they were fighting.

"Are we leaving?" Bruce replied negatively. He would trust Lex for the time being. Not to mention the mansion was a good stronghold to defend from. "But what about mother?"

"She wont plan another attack for a couple of days," he reassured. But really, he knew this to be false.

Clark left shortly before dinner, meaning that Bruce was left to bare the brunt of Lex's curious gaze on his own. He let Lex wonder until after dinner where he convinced Damian to go to bed early. Which proved to be harder than he thought.

"You promised no secrets," he pouted defiantly not moving.

"I'm not keeping secrets," Bruce shot back "Everything I'm speaking to Lex you already know."

"Then why do I have to go upstairs?"

"Because you've had a tiring day, it's late and I thought you'd prefer to keep watch for more intruders in the room than sit and listen to me talk," He could see that last argument had won Damian over. He was just sitting there for pride now. Bruce knew just how to deal with this situation. "Tell you what, if you can say good night in English then you can stay down."

"Fine," Damian agreed. It took him five minutes to admit defeat. After exhausting every language he knew Damian stalked past him to bed.

"So you were curious about…" he let Lex take the interrogation from there.

He told him about travelling vaguely around the world. How he couldn't find meaning in his life until he met Talia. He left out his training and how it was the league that originally drew him in. Talia was mentioned in a relatively good light, mostly because he had loved her at the time. He told how she fell pregnant quickly and that they tried to make it work, for three years of Damian's life they had tried to co-exist. The reason he told Lex he finally left was because she had found him with a member of her guard, argued and left with Damian. Rather than the fact that they both had went off with other people and the little fight between them had left a sword wound that stretched across his upper back.

"She must have money," Lex summarized "Which slightly complicates things as you must know." Bruce nodded. "Still, you know my stance on your situation."

"And I thank you for it," Bruce made to rise "I'll bid you goodnight now. Damian's probably wrecked the room. He left to Lex chuckling.

Damian was standing sentry at the window as he came in. Sword in hand Bruce felt a burst of pride well up inside of him. He took the sword and turned the boy in the direction of the bed.

"Did your talk go well?" Bruce told him yes as he changed "Did he mention more about that teen from the farm?"

Curious he answered "No. I can ask tomorrow if you like? Why the sudden interest.?"

Damian burrowed himself in the covers, playfully keeping them away from Bruce "No reason. It's just that I saw him under our window before."

Bruce stilled then took flight to the window. He ordered Damian to go to sleep as he scoured the bushes underneath their window. Why was Clark lurking around? Perhaps he was visiting Lex and took the back entrance. Still Bruce searched just in case, there was something unusual about Clark that made him particularly uneasy. For the rest of the night he sat at their window, looking into the green below. As light cascaded in at dawn and barely noticed when Damian stirred. A nudge and call for breakfast broke his haze upon the garden.

Not being a stranger to sleep deprivation meant that one day was nothing to him. He came to the conclusion through breakfast that perhaps it was best to stick with Lex today. Sharing his thoughts with Damian the boy agreed, simply because he had been banned from his chicken chasing past time. They hung outside Lex's bedroom, playing eye spy, until he woke up. Stumbling on Bruce's outstretched legs he just rolled his eyes ad ignored them as they followed him to another breakfast. When it came time for him to go to his fencing lesson Lex began to suspect that their presence wasn't just temporary.

"How long are you planning on following me?"

Pursing his lips in thought Bruce answered "All day. We thought it might be a good bonding experience." Bruce just smirked at the horror struck look on Lex's face.

Damian tutted at Lex's foils and made his way to the punching bags at the back. The fencing instructor came in five minutes into Lex's warm up. To stop Damian putting Lex off after a while he worked out Bruce took him to the edge of the room and led him in meditation.

An hour later and they followed Lex as he tried to sneak out the room. Thinking he could get rid of them by announcing he was going into town resulted in him driving them in his car to the Talon. Warning them to be on their best behaviour he led them into the renovated cinema.

"What's this one?" Damian pointed to the next one on the list. Bruce explained what was in a cappuccino and then did the same to the next one on the list. Lex was ignoring them in favour of trying to talk to Lana. She was too busy watching Damian with hearts in her eyes to really notice his attempts.

"Has he decided yet?" Lana asked in a way that told him she didn't expect Damian to have.

Shaking his head he explained all the hot chocolate on offer. "But if it isn't melted chocolate then why is it called 'hot chocolate'?"

"Because in Europe it is melted chocolate. Americans have just used the name for their version of it. Do you want to try one or shall we just have a milkshake and one of those muffins." Damian said yes to the milkshake and Bruce placed his order with Lex who had promised to buy them one if they were good.

Taking Damian to one of the tables with their drinks Bruce tried to teach him a little English to pass the time. He started with teaching him the phrase 'is this pretty lady your girlfriend?' and sent him up to the counter to try to out on Lex and Lana while he got their muffins. Judging from the scowl Lex sent his way Damian said it correctly.

Praising him when he came back he moved on from teasing Lex to simpler things. Their lesson was abruptly cut short when Lex offered them more muffins if they left now, he didn't see why until a blonde walked in and Bruce figured it was one of Lex's ex's. Damian was covered in chocolate as they got out and from a warning look Lex gave him Bruce carried Damian in, telling him not to touch anything.

He continued their teaching over diner. Employing a technique that had worked in the past by ignoring Damian until he spoke it in English. He was rather successful since Damian was extremely observant. As soon as the name for something was said he stored it in his head and tried it out.

Come nine O clock the English lessons were abandoned as sleepy Arabic came out of Damian's mouth. He ended up falling asleep during Aladdin.

"Lana wants to know if you need a babysitter," Lex remarked.

Smirking Bruce noted the jealous look on his face "You can tell her I don't. Dami's not the friendly type."

Lex arched an eyebrow "He's been nice to me."

"That's because I told him to be. Believe me if I hadn't you would be tied up and confessing your sins right now," Bruce promised.

"Lovely," Bruce left Lex watching the rest of the movie.

It was two in the morning when he was awoken by a sound outside. Immediately up, he climbed down to the garden and stuck to the shadows. A blur assaulted his vision to the left. Eyes wide he followed the direction it had travelled. Peering from the edge of the wall he saw Clark.

The teen was standing tall with a gun crushed beyond repair in one hand. The other held the owner, unconscious and laying in Clark's arm like a doll. The teen hadn't even broken a sweat from the weight of the man. In fright Bruce went back to the room and took Damian down to the training room.

The boy slept as Bruce armed himself and tried to process what he had just seen. No one without some kind of training could have taken out a marksman of Talia's approval. The strength he possessed wasn't normal for someone with his background. Was Lex right? Or were the people of this town hiding something? Clark could be an agent of Talia's, he knew she and Ra's had people stationed over the world just waiting for orders. They could live in one place for years before their services were required. Was Clark one? But then why had he took out that marksman? Perhaps he was a bounty hunter. Bruce had encountered many of them also. Clark could have taken that man out because he wanted the bounty on his and Damian's head. Waiting for the right opportunity to bring them in. After all, the longer they stayed there the more assassins and high profile killers would show up. All of whom had a bounty of their own, more money for him.

Lex found them at his morning workout. Bruce drilling Damian with everything they had learnt.

"Wow," Lex complimented as he pinned Damian. "Don't suppose you could teach me some of those moves."

Shaking his head Bruce told Damian to change so they could get breakfast. He put their equipment away, cooling down and calming his mind. The mystery of Clark was plaguing him. Unluckily for Clark Bruce liked mysteries.

"I'm going to take Damian to the Kent's today," he told Lex "I've taught Damian how to say sorry. Thought maybe it would help relations between us."

Lex scoffed "Unlikely but good luck. I think my father's coming over anyway, so maybe it's a good thing you'll be out," Lex mused.

"I'll be gone for hours," Bruce promised not wanting to be in the presence of Lionel.

The Kent farm turned out to be a yellow house next to a big red barn. A chicken crossed their path and Bruce hastily picked Damian up in case another chasing incident occurred.

Knocking, a middle aged woman answered "Can I help you?" she asked with a smile, her eyes melting when they saw Damian.

"Is your husband in?" Mrs Kent shouted for him and led the pair of them inside. Mr Kent came over with his scowl falling in place as soon as he saw them.

"What do you two want?"

"Jonathan!" Mrs Kent reprimanded.

He grunted but was nicer the next time he addressed them "What can I do for you?"

"Damian has something to say to you," he put the boy down and told him to repeat what he had taught him.

"I'm sorry for chasing your chickens," he sounded perfectly. Turning to Bruce to make sure he had said it right he gave him a clap on the back to show he had.

"Are you now?" Mr Kent started just as Mrs Kent turned on her husband.

"Don't tell me you've been telling this boy off just because he was the chasing chickens. Clark used to do that and worse when he was that age," Mr Kent looked down guiltily.

"Martha he was trespassing and spooking the animals," Mr Kent defended.

She wasn't taking it "Trespassing? The poor boy probably didn't know. Did you sweetheart?" she addressed to Damian. He looked to Bruce for guidance.

"Damian doesn't speak English," Bruce excused.

Martha turned on her husband again, fire in her eyes. "Well-I mean- Martha!"

"Jonathan!"

Mr Kent looked at a loss eventually he turned to Bruce "I'm sorry for having a go at your son. I overreacted and it was wrong of me," he droned.

"It's fine," Bruce tried but Mrs Kent was having none of it.

"I'm so sorry about my husband. How about you both stay for dinner, oh could you…" Bruce asked Damian if he wanted to stay just for show. The boy was happy to, he had learnt of Bruce's investigation plan earlier and was on board with infiltration. "Wonderful, now Clark, my son, will be back shortly. How about you show them the horses?" she demanded of her husband.

He sighed but complied and led them out to the stables where two horses were stationed. Damian asked for a horse as soon as he saw them. Mr Kent let Damian pet them, his look of contempt not completely leaving.

Clark was back within an hour and Mrs Kent called them in for dinner. Clark was surprised to see them but welcomed them warmer than Mr Kent had. The talk started off with Clark relaying his day from college. Bruce found out that he was taking his studies in Smallville rather than further afield like his girlfriend.

"So what do you do Bruce? Lex tells me you were at school together," Clark prompted.

"Yes, briefly I went to his school. Unfortunately he was transferred to a different school when his mother died. It was a shame but we still remained friends, especially since we went to the same college," He guessed Lex had already told Clark this from the unsurprised look on his face. "As for what I do… I'm in a bit of a custodial situation at the moment. It's left us moving around too much for me to make a current occupation."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with those two guys you offed?" Mr Kent guessed. Mrs Kent quickly shushed him.

"Sort of," Bruce answered anyway "I'm sorry you had to see that. Those men were…"

"It's none of our business," Mrs Kent waved off. "So, how old is, Damian wasn't it?"

Bruce relayed the question and Damian held up seven fingers. Mrs Kent awed and Bruce told her he could understand English, it was the speaking it that had him stumped. The rest of the dinner had her trying to teach him little phrases.

"So where exactly are you two from?" Mr Kent asked.

"Not here," Bruce answered vaguely, smiling to show he meant no offence.

Mr Kent hummed but moved the conversation onto other things, he mostly talked to his son about his day leaving Mrs Kent to ask after Bruce and Damian. After dinner Bruce was treated to one of the best home made pies he had ever had and was asked if he would like to stay a while longer.

"I'd hate to impose- no Damian!" He chided pulling his son away from the cellar door. "Sorry, he's at that age."

"Oh it's fine. Clark was always getting into things when he was that age as well. I tell you I can't recall how many times I found that boy where he shouldn't be. Hands in the cookie jar, girls locker room you name it. He just had an uncanny ability to get into trouble," She offered more pie to Damian and let him scamper off to the living room with Clark and Mr Kent. "It's real nice of Lex to let you stay with him."

"Yes, I know. I can't tell you how lucky I am to have found him a couple of days ago," Bruce agreed.

"Jonathan will tell you to be careful with Lex but that boy's just as nice as any around here," She raised her voice so her husband could hear.

"I know. If you ask me it's his dad you want to watch. Lex has always lived in his shadow, if you ask me it's that which will turn him bad if he does go that way," Bruce recalled all the times Lex would complain to Bruce about his father. It wasn't easy living with Lionel's expectations.

"I take it you're not a Lionel fan either then?" She already knew the answer and was just waiting for Bruce to confirm it.

Scoffing he complied "It's part of the reason I actually came here tonight. I was hoping to get your husband and Clark to keep quiet about our presence in Smallville. Lana's alright since Lex hasn't told her much but with what happened… If Lionel hears something like that he'll start to suspect something," he beseeched Mrs Kent to keep quiet.

"And you don't want him knowing about you. Don't worry," She patted his arm "I'll talk to the boys. Make sure they keep quiet."

"Thank you," They joined the rest of the Kents in the living room. Damian was squished in the armchair but raised and sat on his knee as soon as Bruce sat down. "Lex tells me that you're Lana's boyfriend," He prompted.

Clark turned red but nodded dutifully. His parents made proud expressions his way "Yeah, we've been going out for a while now."

"She goes to Metropolis right?" Clark nodded again "The commute must be difficult," Damian had taken to stealing some of the pie he had brought in.

"She makes it work," Clark promised "The Talon's too important for her to give up on."

"So's her work out from the looks of it," Bruce frowned at the confused look on Clark's face. Surely he knew that Lana was going to Lex for self defence lessons "She's coming around the manor tomorrow I think. It's probably just because Lex has a better gym than her college," He reassured.

Clark nodded again but didn't look convinced. The talk turned onto other subjects, every now and then Mr Kent would throw questions his way that Bruce could see were intrusive. Jonathan didn't trust them, which was wise of him.

"How many languages does he know?" Clark asked. Bruce had just told Damian off for trying to sneak another piece.

"Lots," Bruce sighed "We travelled around and had to learn them. The only reason I know English is because I grew up in America. Damian was small when we left his first home so his mother and I hadn't had time to teach him properly."

"He just picks them up then?" Clark looked intrigued at the prospect.

"It takes a while. Usually I learn all I can from books or listening to people then I try and teach him as well as I can," Damian chimed in with his agreement in Mandarin.

"Doesn't he get confused?" Bruce shook his head. "So how would you go about learning it to begin with. Could you just read something, like pronunciation and say it?"

"I guess," He wondered where Clark was going with this.

The boy rose up from his seat and disappeared upstairs. Reappearing with a book in hand and a pen he scribbled something and presented it to Bruce "How would you go about saying that?"

The words were written in English but the spelling was slightly hard to read. Bruce related it to all the languages he knew and tried different ones out before he gave his verdict. Damian repeated after him pulling the book over and flipping through it.

"What does it mean?" He tried to prise it from Damian's little hands "It's not yours," Damian scowled and held on.

"It doesn't matter," Clark muttered trying what Bruce had said out. "I don't suppose you could teach me more?"

"Sure," Clark gently reached for the book from Damian. Bruce remembered those same hands holding up the marksman last night and took the book out of Damian's hands before Clark got too near. Passing it over he watched as Clark scribbled more words out.

Ten minutes of this later Clark proposed that "You should teach me."

"I don't even know what language we're speaking," Bruce remarked.

"You don't need to," Clark waved off "I just need to know the pronunciations and you are a very good teacher," He complimented. "Please?"

"I don't know," Bruce mused. On the one hand it would provide the perfect opportunity for Bruce to investigate him. On the other, Clark was someone that had proved he was dangerous. How could he blindly agree to something that he didn't know the risks of. Who knew what other talents he hid and who else was in on the conspiracy.

"Please, you could come over on an evening. I'm sure Pa would be more than happy to keep Damian occupied," He shared a look with his dad who was looking sullen at the idea. "And I could help you teach Damian English if you don't like that idea. We could split it half English and half Kryp-" He cut himself off. "Just think about it."

Saying he would Bruce left shortly afterwards. Despite his insistence that Damian had received enough sweets Mrs Kent gave them two pieces of pie to go back with. Pleading all the way home he had to keep it out of Damian's reach as he contemplated Clark's offer.

He knew his answer was going to be yes as he reached their room. Clark was too intriguing to pass up. Not to mention that this language could be a piece of the puzzle. He had cut himself off from speaking its name, that meant it had some sentimental or secretive value. The more he learnt the more he could uncover Clark's secrets. Discover if he was a threat to them.

"Have a nice time?" Lex drawled.

"Very," He held up the two bits of pie "Mrs Kent sends her love. You can have mine if you like," Lex shook his head.

"Father's still here. I'd watch where you step," Lex warned.

"Where is he now?" They were at Lex's study, where Lionel apparently kept his visits in. If he wasn't there then the manor became a minefield.

"I think he's investigating your room. I moved anything incriminating to the vault in my study," He pointed behind him "Still…"

"Someone's let slip then," He concluded from Lex's speech.

"Most likely Clark," Lex noted "He won't have meant to but he's friends with a pesky blonde that wants to be a reporter. Her and my father share an unusual arrangement," Judging from the scowl on Lex's face that couldn't be good.

"So be careful who you speak to," Bruce gathered. The blonde who hung around with Clark was going on his watch list. "Anyone else I should add?"

"Lana, the girl's rooming with Chloe. One word of a handsome stranger and pieces may start falling into place," Footsteps and the sound of Lionel came down the hall.

Lex made a shooing motion and retreated into his study. Bruce grabbed Damian and hid in one of the opposing rooms. They waited for the sound of the study door closing before venturing out and back to their room. Lex had been right when he said Lionel had been looking for them.

The bed was upturned and the other one, that had still been there, was gone. Lex had done a good job of hiding them but it still hadn't stopped Lionel from checking everywhere. The cupboards were flung open and window thrown wide. No doubt the security footage had been checked on his round as well. Lex had reassured him the first night he stayed that he was looping all camera's with Bruce or Damian in them. Making a prayer that Lionel didn't check Lex's vault he locked their door and set Damian down for bed.

His mistake, when he returned from his shower, had been leaving the seven year old alone in the room. The two slices of pie Mrs Kent had given him were gone and Damian was looking rather sick on their bed.

"How many times do I have to tell you little bat, you'll make yourself sick if you eat too much," He chided softly as Damian moaned in distress.

"I just wanted one more slice," He pouted holding his stomach gently.

Pulling his briefs on he cuddled Damian into a more comfortable position and rubbed his stomach for him. Remembering when his parents used to do the same when he was unwell. "At least you'll know next time," Bruce sighed.

Damian lay moaning for a while, it was mostly dramatics at this stage. When he was really unwell he'd grow quiet and curl up somewhere Bruce couldn't find until he stepped in the sick. It had been dark for a while when Damian told him "The book Clark wrote in, there wasn't any English in it. Instead there was a bunch of symbols, I couldn't figure it out."

"Maybe it was too advanced," He made a note to start Damian's other lessons up again soon.

The boy shook his head "It wasn't maths or any kind of symbol I'd ever seen before. The structure looked like a language as well. Written in a sentence structure rather than a formula. Do you think that's what he wants you to teach him?"

"It's as good a guess as any," He would have to try and sneak a look when Clark was otherwise occupied.

As the light grew too bright in their room Bruce reached over to turn it off. The shadows closed in comfortably around them as moonlight illuminated a someone outside of their window. A grotesque face looked in at them, trying to open the window from the outside. He looked like he was almost in when Bruce was casting Damian off him. Only as soon as he had done that the man was gone. It was like something had pulled him off their ledge. Dragging the window open he followed the descent of the man. Damian was crouching at the ledge as he climbed so Bruce told him to keep watch for anyone else.

Bruce searched the bushes and even the place he had seen Clark the night before. The man was gone. Bruce ran a hand through his hair thinking that perhaps he had been hallucinating when he spotted the track marks on the ledge. Someone had climbed up, that much he could tell.

The marks were fresh and dragged from where the man had been clutching. The indents showed that he had indeed been pulled off. By great force as well. Bruce had a sickening feeling that Clark was perhaps behind this again and quickly rejoined Damian in the room.

"Did you find him?"

"No," Bruce hoped Lionel had left the manor, they needed their weapons back "I think I'm going to go teach Clark tomorrow. Do you want to come with me?" He asked stalking down the corridors.

"Will Mrs Kent have pie again?" Laughing Bruce replied with a maybe. Already thinking up ways in which he could check the Kent farm while he was there.


	3. Chapter 3

His back ached as the wound opened further. Blood loss made his vision swim and knees weaken. So much so that on the next blow he fell to the floor. Helpless and in pain he could do no more than to watch as Talia stalked closer. A ways away he could hear the shrill call of Damian. The fact he was here meant he had finally crossed that line Bruce had kept him from all these years. Talia had took Damian's innocence once again and for that Bruce knew he could never forgive her.

He tried to get up but the pain flared too much for him to do more than listen as his son cried out. Legs he'd once spent hours worshipping came into his vision along with the dull red glint of her steel blade. He knew he wouldn't get up, he couldn't. So he concentrated on Damian's little voice. He hoped that when he was gone Damian would break free of her. Forgiveness wasn't something she could earn back when his head rolled.

Her arm raised he tried to keep his eyes open, to glimpse once more at everything that had made up his world these years.

"Dad!" Bolting upright he was immediately assaulted by Damian climbing on his chest.

"Could you please tell your son to wake at a more reasonable hour?" He looked to the left where Lex was trying to keep himself awake. A dream then.

He turned to the smirking boy, plastering a smile on his face, as he asked "What say Dami? Think you could wake up later?"

He scrunched his little face up in thought before turning to Lex and proudly stating "No."

Bruce laughed as Lex collapsed into their bed. He'd taught Damian how to say no earlier in the week and had regretted it ever since.

"Aw, I didn't know you were the cuddling type Lexy," He teased as his friend made himself comfortable.

"I'm not. But it's the only way your spawn will leave me be," For the past week Damian had been waking Lex up instead of Bruce on a morning. The lie ins were a blessing for him but a curse for Lex.

"He likes you. You should be honoured," He joked and pushed Damian into the middle.

Lex sighed mournfully as Damian squirmed and kicked to try and get comfortable. Settled he engaged Bruce in a game of eye spy "Anything you want to talk about?" Lex asked quietly as Damian tried to look for something beginning with V.

"Just a bad dream. It's not unusual," Lex nodded understandingly. He had been privy to his own nightmares when his mother had died. Both of them were aware that the other didn't get much sleep in school but it became an unspoken topic between them.

He relaxed back into the pillows as Damian challenged him to find something beginning with A but that was when the door handle turned. Acting quickly he rolled his son off and under the bed as Lex sat up in alarm. Not someone from the household then.

"Lex what on- Oh," Bruce paused on his way to his bag. He knew that annoying voice anywhere. Tuning he was face to face with Lionel Luther. "Oh Lex I thought you were better than this."

"What?" Bruce muttered as Lex blushed.

"It's not like that," Gathering the state of the room Bruce realised that his cover hadn't been blown yet.

"Really? Then tell me what it is like then? Hmm?" Lex quickly got up to try and confront his father about the reality of the situation.

Bruce taking things before Lex could actually do something to damage his new found persona pointed towards his clothes "I think I'd better go Lex. I'll see you soon though?" He tried for embarrassingly flirty as he sent a pointed look Lex's way.

Message received he nodded so Bruce stooped low to gather his shirt. Damian gazed out from under the bed with wide eyes. Bruce pointed towards the roof and pointedly looked towards where Lex and his father were standing. Damian nodded and sank deeper under the bed.

Gathering his clothes Bruce apologised to Lionel and slipped out of the Luther manor. Waiting on the roof for ten minutes he finally saw the tell tale black hair of his little bat.

"They left to go argue in Lex's study," Bruce ruffled his hair and helped them both avoid the security camera's to the back garden of the manor. From there it was just a short walk to the fields of Smallville.

Knowing they couldn't retreat to the manor for a while they played in the grass and trees on the way to the town. After a long game of lions the green turned to grey as roads and buildings grew out of Smallville's land.

With no money and no plan Bruce had to employ the old toilet routine to have an excuse to go into the Talon.

"I don't suppose we could use your bathroom?" He asked the girl. Damian was doing a good act of whining and crossing his legs.

"Of course, straight through there," She pointed so Bruce shooed Damian off.

"Thank you," He sighed as a thankful parent might then turned his charming smile on the girl "I know this is a bit presumptuous and I'm afraid I don't have any money but could I use your computer?"

She looked torn for only a moment before allowing him to use it. "What are you doing?" Damian asked sitting on his lap.

"Checking Gotham," The stocks were still too high in his company for him to attempt anything just yet. If they didn't drop soon he would have to take those matters personally in his own hands. Pulling up a picture when he was done he pointed "See this man. His name is Alfred, he's a close friend of mine. Since I've been away he's been in charge of our house."

"He's kind of old," Damian remarked.

"Well he's been working for our family since I was a boy. Now Dami listen, when we do go back to Gotham Alfred will be our ally. He'll be family like you and me," He tried to implore.

Damian understood "So I can trust him," Bruce nodded "Then I'll refrain from challenging him," He promised. Bruce sighed in relief. If there was one thing he was worried about for when they went back to Gotham it was that Damian would try and assert his dominance towards Alfred. The league had taught him that challenging people was a show of respect and allowed people to find their place in their hierarchy. Bruce had been trying to train it out of him for years now. He was almost glad he'd labelled Lex as a potential threat. It meant that whilst he was still being watched Damian had to wait to attack him. "Father? If we have a house in Gotham, why are we staying here?"

He thought about how well to phrase it for a seven year old before deciding to be straight with him "People think I'm dead over there. And since my death the board has liquidised our company and sold it to various parties for their own gain. If we were to go back now all we'd have would be the manor and whatever Alfred managed to salvage. But if we wait and remain ghosts then we can procure our company back and secure our lives in the shadows before revealing ourselves. It's just simpler if we stay here for now."

Switching the tab to google images he let Damian show him all the different farm animals Mr Kent had shown him during the week. He hardly noticed the time go by until two chocolate milkshakes were set down in front of them.

"On the house," Lana smiled.

"How was college?" She had been over to the manor quite frequently during the week. Bruce thought she spent more time with Lex than her actual boyfriend.

"Great but my room mate's driving me a little mad. You have no idea how happy I was to have an excuse to come back late," she gave Damian one of the chocolate muffins from the counter.

"Room mate… That would be Chloe?" Many warnings had been issued about her.

"Yeah. She's got some intern-ship at the Daily Planet. All week she's been bugging me about stories. I tell you, half of the things she cooks up are insane," A blonde walked in then "Speak of the devil," Lana smiled and went to greet her friend.

Bruce stole some of Damian's muffin as he watched Chloe gesticulate wildly and point to something she had in her hand. "What do you think that's about?"

"Don't know. I think we'd better go," He picked Damian up and wiped him down from his snack. Pulling his hood up Bruce waved a goodbye to Lana and took to the fields of Smallville again. "What shall we do now then?"

Damian skipped along the dirt road "Can we go to the Kents?"

"I don't think they'll like us dropping by unannounced," Mr Kent had softened slightly for Damian but remained cold towards Bruce.

"But we won't be. Clark said to come by once he was done at college. If Lana's done isn't he?" Bruce narrowed his eyes. Damian had an ulterior motive for going but what, Bruce didn't know.

"Alright," He agreed and took hold of his sons hand.

Despite going every day for an hour since he'd agreed, Bruce hadn't gotten any closer to unravelling the mystery that was Clark. Lex had told him he was slightly obsessed but then Bruce had called him a hypocrite and left it at that.

He'd tried getting hold of Clark's notes to see what it was they were speaking but the language was unknown to him. It seemed to be ancient but ancient languages always had a recognisable symbol. Also the symbols didn't seem ancient they looked to be something from a science fiction film which had Bruce stumped as to what it could be. All he did when he went over now was try and remember what it was Clark was getting him to say and hope the spoken word would allow him an insight into the language's codex.

As for the rest of Clark's life he'd had Damian look in Clark's room for anything incriminating with no results. The barn was clean from what he knew with only some relics that looked to be worth anything. He'd noted them down and spent some nights with Lex brainstorming what they could be.

What he always did though was check Clark over for any damage. He'd seen him below their window some nights and knew that he was disposing of the assassins Talia sent their way. The question of why was still unanswered. As was the fact that Clark held no mark of their attack despite the fact Bruce had heard a definite gun shot one night and could have sworn Clark's shirt was torn from the bullet's impact.

The farmhouse loomed. Mrs Kent, having spotted them from the window, came to greet them warmly and called for her husband to take Damian around the farm. The boy went gladly and chattered away about chickens to a clueless Mr Kent.

"Jonathan said Damian's a big help with the animals," she complimented. "He just wishes that he could understand what he's saying some of the time."

"Whatever it is, tell your husband that Damian loves being here. It's probably just exited comments about what they're doing. He spent all morning showing me the animals you have here," Martha asked about him staying for dinner which he accepted. Not knowing when it was safe to go back to Luther manor meant that he was quite sceptical where his next meal was coming from.

"Clark should be back soon. He said something about going to see Lana at the Talon but it'll only take him a couple of minutes," She fed him some home made treats.

"That's alright." Spotting something in the living room he wondered "Do you think he'd mind if I?" She said it was alright so Bruce went to busy himself in the living room.

Clark found him ten minutes later guiltily shutting down his laptop "Hope I'm not interrupting."

"No, just a prank for Lex," He hurriedly put it away. "So, translating."

Two hours later and Bruce was hearing about the rats in the barn as Damian gave him a dramatic retelling of his and Mr Kent's adventures. Clark was watching with interest as Damian went into the part about the rat running into the fields when Bruce realised that he had an idea what Damian was saying.

"I didn't know you knew some Arabic," Bruce commented.

Clark started guiltily "I don't," His parents watched on with worried eyes "I mean. Damian's been coming by for the past week. It's hard not to pick up a couple of words and Pa's always making those faces when he's talking about the rats. Only they're more murderous."

"Oh, that's what he's talking about," Mr Kent muttered "Yeah, it looks like we'll have to start setting traps again."

Bruce kept his eyes on Clark "We could capture them for you," He offered.

Mr Kent chuckled "I didn't know you two were in the rat buisness."

Turning away from Clark's startled eyes he answered "No, but when we were abroad we lived in some unsavoury places. Catching rats became something of the norm." He remembered one instructor who had them catch them for an exercise. Listening to the rats movements and becoming quick enough to catch one was his way of training agility and patience.

"I would have thought places like that would be beneath you," Mr Kent commented.

"Well, with little money and no place to live it's hard to argue if someone offers to put you up," Damian tugged on his arm and asked if they were really going to catch rats the rest of the night. "It'll pass a couple of hours until it gets dark," He answered.

"You're gonna have to excuse Pa. He seems to think that just because you live with Lex you're as bad as him," Clark smiled kindly trying to get back in Bruce's good books.

"I never said that," Mr Kent protested. Clark just rolled his eyes at his dad.

The barn was home to many rats Bruce found out. Leaving them to it with the reward of pie when they were done Bruce made a game out of catching the rats. Damian took it to heart and tried to best Bruce whenever he got ahead. The end scores were with Damian in the lead.

"But there's probably tonnes more," He protested as Bruce forced him to wash his hands.

"It's too dark. There's machines in here that can kill you if you're not careful so we'll come back when it's light," Pouting, Damian gave in and let Bruce herd him into the Kent's house.

Mr Kent was waiting for them as they handed the full cages of rats over "Well I'll be…"

"That was so sweet of you," Mrs Kent praised handing them their pies.

"We can probably get more tomorrow. It's too dark right now though," Mrs Kent waved away his offer saying they've done enough. "Suppose we'd better get going," He helped Damian into his hoodie.

"I can drive you back if you like," Clark nodded towards his truck.

"Thank you but no. We can walk it," If Lionel was still there and saw them getting out of Clark's truck then more questions would be asked.

"Are you coming back tomorrow?" Damian set his most pleading expression on his face.

Chuckling Bruce said "Yes," and waved goodbye to the Kents.

They walked the familiar road back to the Luther Mansion. "Clark seems nice. Are you sure he wants to hurt us?"

"No," Bruce crouched down so Damian could hop on his back "That's why we need to figure it out. Left in uncertainty we could place our trust in the wrong person."

"Like mother?" Bruce sighed not deigning Damian with a reply. "Will she give up when we get back to Gotham?"

"Hopefully. If not, then at least we'll have the resources to fight her properly," He could hear rustling in the bushes not far from where they were walking. Not needing to look he knew that Clark was watching them.

The Luther Manor loomed in front of them as Bruce took the window route into the prestigious hallways that made up Lex's home. Dropping Damian down, he pushed the boy in front and checked the usual places Lex haunted on an evening. Finding him in his study wasn't the biggest surprise of the day.

"Hi Lex," Damian chirped hopping on his desk.

"Hello," He handed Damian his chair and came over to Bruce "You," He greeted.

"You got my email," Bruce noted. The scowl deepened on Lex's face. Rolling his eyes Bruce defended "Your father checks your phone and email. I thought it best to make it believable."

"You realise I've been shouted at most of the day," Lex commented his frown softening a little.

"I'm sorry for that. What else could I have done. Truthfully Lex, isn't it better to lead on your father than to invent something else. At least this way his imagination will be making up most of the details," He paused "Speaking of details what did you tell your father."

Rubbing his face tiredly he poured himself a drink "I told him that you were a employee of mine. One at the Talon, speaking of you're starting tomorrow. Our dalliance was part of a lapse in judgement, one that has been going on for the past couple of weeks. I thought it best to as you put it, lead my father on, since he knew that someone had been lurking in the manor."

Out of all of Lex's explanation Bruce couldn't wrap his head around one thing "You want me to work for you?"

This time Lex smirked triumphantly "You want a cover Bruce, well here it is. I've given you the best one you could hope for. Not only will you be actually earning money but Clark frequents the Talon on a daily basis along with the rest of the town. Imagine the gossip you'll hear."

He knew Lex was just getting back at him for the dirty picture he'd sent but still the idea was ingenious. "What about Dami?"

"He can come with you. Or better yet, leave him with the Kents. They seem to like him from what you've said," Damian seemed to agree with this plan.

"Hang on, I'm not leaving my son with them for however long I'm going to be here. Either you take him or I'll send you more pictures. Hourly," He threatened "And don't forget I can hack into your computer. Some of your work presentations might go down more pleasantly if my charming face was there to help along."

Lex scowled but agreed "Fine. But what do you expect me to do with him?"

Damian was looking put out at the idea of not spending the whole day at the farm "Dami," He called "I think you've been let off your training long enough. While I'm at work I want you to help Lex with his fencing then spend a couple of hours practising your moves.

"Yes dad," He beamed.

"Problem solved," Bruce concluded.

The next day had the girl who'd let him use the computer training him behind the counter. Having worked similar jobs in other countries there wasn't much to teach him. At least with Damian out of the way his job was easier than when he had the boy strapped to his back to stop him from running off as he served some old woman coffee.

Lex had promised him alternative shifts so one day he was working the morning and the next the afternoon. It turned out the morning shift was boring. All the kids were at school and the customers that were there came few and far between.

As two o clock neared he had bunched his apron up already to leave. Sighing delightedly as fresh air hit his senses he started back to Lex's manor to pick Damian up. At least he was until a flash of blue caught his eye.

Following the sirens he came to an old house that was being quarantined off from the doubling crowd. Pushing his way to the front he felt his blood run cold as a mutilated body came on show.


	4. Chapter 4

For a moment his breath came quick at the thought of him having to move again. He had no plans for where to stay once Lex had offered his home. Money would have to be acquired, a place for Damian to sleep would be needed. But then his training took over.

The head was gone from the body and it was spread, speared onto the porch. What was most unusual was the fact that it looked like something had taken a bite out of its chest. Not the work of the league.

He calmed as that thought took precedence in his head. Then turned curious as to why such a small town was conforming to the stereotype horror movie murder. It looked to be the work of a man yet that bite mark... Bruce walked off as his thoughts turned to what Lana was saying yesterday. Chloe came up with a whole bunch of unbelievable stories. Perhaps she knew what happened here too.

Be started back to the manor, amusing himself with ideas about what Damian had done to Lex while he was at work. Knowing his son Lex would be in bed the rest of the day complaining of sore muscles. He kept the smile on his face as his shadow dared to walk closer.

Sighing internally at the fight that was about to take place he continued his façade of pretending he hadn't a clue. The body drew nearer and Bruce readied himself for a fight when familiar perfume assaulted his senses.

"Talia," He greeted.

"Beloved," She walked easily next to him. Her long hair tied according to her buisness attire and looking just as beautiful as always.

"Dare I ask the nature of your visit?" He didn't slow down for her despite her walking in heels and refused the car that was dawdling close to them.

"I came to see my favourite boys. How is our son?" Playing it casual. How very like her.

"He's taken a liking to the native animals of Smallville. I forced him to apologise when one of the farmers caught him chasing their chickens," That elicited a laugh out of her.

"How very like him. He always was too curious," They stopped to oversee one of the many fields of Smallville. "It's nice here. I can see why you wish to stay."

"I don't," She already knew this "It's merely temporary." The car had stopped a ways up and seemed to be blocking him in. "I take it you know about the murder."

She nodded "Such brutality. I'd have admired it were it not for the crudeness of their work," So like Talia to make death seem like an art.

"I take it yours will be more precise," The real reason she was here.

"Of course. Though it needn't be. You know this," He swept his hair back from the heat.

"I've told you, we can't work," He let her clasp his hand gently as she relayed her regular argument.

"As I've told you, I accept that you stray now and then. So long as you return to me I see no reason why we can't work. Damian would flourish well with both parents there to guide him. To see him come into his inheritance properly," He felt the usual coarse of anger but didn't let it show.

"Which is why he's to be guided by only one of us. I'll not have him grow in blood Talia," She didn't even flinch at his retort.

"He already grows in blood. You know he took his first man that day you left and still you try and keep him from me. He's an Al Ghul, to deny him his birthright you are going against your oath," She seemed to get riled now. The passion of her installed words dripping from her throat.

"He's a Wayne too. And I've sworn no oath to you or your father-"

"_He_ has though," She cut in "As soon as he struck that first man dead he bound himself to our cause. As for you, don't you remember the oath you took for me that very first night," Unfair. "You swore your love for me which binds you just as much as him to the league. To do as you are now means death. Come back with me," She urged "Finish what we started all those years ago."

"What you started," He let his denial show through every second his body stood standing. "I'll have no part in your usurpation," he careened sideways slightly as her fist hit his jaw. Spitting blood he didn't retaliate. Not when she would cut him down so easily whilst he fought her lackeys.

"It's my birthright. Spit those vile words again and I'll make this town run red tonight," He didn't doubt her. Her snarl turned soft as she turned her persuasion back on "Since I know you won't expect the first punishment for your defiance tonight. Let's hope you can see sense soon beloved," She kissed him on the cheek and made her way to her waiting car.

Bruce waited until she was out of sight before abandoning the route to the Luther house and sprinting towards the Kents. Mrs Kent told him Clark was at college for another couple of hours but invited him in so she could mother him a while.

"Here," She handed a muffin along with an ice filled rag for his jaw "How on earth did you do that?"

He held it to his aching skin "Walked into something," His excuse was awful and Mrs Kent saw right through it. Mr Kent didn't seem all too pleased with it either.

"We don't want any trouble coming here," He warned. Bruce nodded his understanding.

Clark came home laden with Lana on one arm and Chloe the upcoming reporter. "What happened to your face?" he worried.

"It's nothing," Bruce waved off even as Mrs Kent refilled his rag.

"Doesn't look like nothing. Say, you didn't have anything to do with that murder did you?" Chloe asked. She was already dissecting him with her eyes.

Bruce scoffed a "Hardly." As Lana stood firm that he wouldn't do such a thing.

"Did you get in a fight?" Clark peered.

"Well obviously Clark," Chloe pointed out.

"Not exactly," Bruce corrected "It's why I came here. I need to talk to you. Damian's mother's in town and there's something I need to ask you," He tried to convey his need for a private talk which was well received by Clark.

"Did Damian's mother do that?" Lana asked aghast.

Clark seemed to be thinking of a way to get some alone time with him as Bruce said "It was my fault. I should know to keep my mouth shut by now." The occupants of the kitchen seemed uncomfortable with his reply. Even Mr Kent softened slightly at him.

"Why don't we talk in the barn. Chloe I'll be back in a minute alright," He kissed Lana's cheek and towed Bruce out to his loft. Bruce tossed the rag aside as Clark made himself comfortable "What did you want to talk about-"

He pounced on Clark wielding a knife he may have stolen from the Kent's kitchen to his throat "What are your intentions with myself and Damian?"

"I don- What?" He stuttered as the shock of being threatened breached his brain.

"Don't play dumb. I see you outside our window. I know you've gotten rid of at least three assassins since we've been here. What's you game?" He pressed.

Clark froze "You saw me? But I never hear-" he stopped and calmed slightly realising that his excuses wouldn't work on Bruce "I'm helping you. You have a son, it seemed like the right thing to do."

"So you're not just getting rid of the competition to claim the bounty yourself?" He relaxed his hold slightly as genuine confusion shot through Clark's face.

"You have a bounty? What did you do?" The truth was written all over Clark's face. He really was sincere in his bid to help Bruce.

"Doesn't matter. Are you really only doing this because it's 'the right thing'?" Clark nodded. Bruce brought the knife down. It seemed some things that look too good to be true can happen. "Well then," he cleared his throat and got down to buisness "I have a proposition for you."

Clark didn't move to throw him off his lap despite the fact Bruce wasn't threatening him anymore. "If it's about laying off those assassins you can forget it. If one of them does get in it's not just your life that's at risk. Lex is my friend," Bruce nodded.

"I know. But it is partly that. You see, my ex has a rather unorthodox way of trying to get our family back together. When the attempt to hold Damian hostage and me to negotiate my way back to her fails she employs a different technique. Tonight someone's going to die. It won't be me or Damian but it'll be someone in Smallville. There's going to be more than one body by the end of the week and-"

"Wait! Is she the one that killed that man?" The hope in Clark's face was slightly unnerving. How many unusual murders happened in Smallville.

"No. That was someone else. Talia's not as sloppy as that. In fact apart from the high profile ones she's rather discreet when it comes to murder. It usually looks like an accident. My point is, if you can sniff out an assassin in Lex's back garden then you're probably more than capable of preventing someone from dying tonight. At least until I can come up with some sort of plan," Clark was frowning.

"So you want me to stalk people's houses in case someone turns up to kill them?" Bruce nodded "But what about you?"

Believe it or not, Dami and I are more than capable of looking after ourselves," He saw the protest of Clark's lips and hurried to speak over him "If it makes you feel better about leaving your post I can have Lex bunk with us," He smirked at how well that was going to go down.

Clark thought about it for a while before agreeing to scour the town. "Just what kind of person was your ex?"

"Someone you don't want to mess with," Bruce promised. "I'd better get back. Tell Lana Lex wants her at the manor at nine tomorrow morning."

Clark looked unhappy with the idea of his girlfriend once again going to Lex's but kept quiet as Bruce went back to the Kent's house to say his goodbyes. "I'll see you at the Talon tomorrow," Lana grinned.

"You work there?" Chloe interjected.

"Just got hired," Mrs Kent gave him a congratulatory muffin. "You're gonna make me fat," He whined but ate it anyway on his way back.

Damian jumped into his arms as soon as he saw him coming up the drive "You're late," He accused.

"I was busy. But tomorrow we'll have all morning together," He promised "Lana's taking up Lex's attention so why don't I teach you some flying moves," Damian lit up and instantly forgave him.

Rambling about his day with Lex and how poor a student he was had Bruce in stitches by the time he actually saw his friend comatose on the couch. He prodded Lex gently as Damian went to fetch Bruce a drink.

"No more," Lex whined turning away from Bruce's insistent touches.

"Come on Lexy. Up, up up," Lex groaned and tried to swat him away. "If you can still move your arms then Dami went easy on you," Bruce grinned. "Come on, I need to talk to you."

One eye blearily stared accusingly up at him "What?"

Bruce smirked but grew serious quickly "You're gonna need to sleep in our room tonight. Or vice versa, some recent complications have sprung up which put your safety at risk."

This had Lex sitting up as sharply as he could "What sort of complications? What happened to your face?"

Bruce made a mental note to check how bad it was after he filled Lex in on the brief version of Talia's visit "She'll try and take one tonight and just because Dami and I aren't on that list doesn't mean you're not. It's better if I can see you if we're attacked," Lex nodded as Damian scampered in with a water bottle.

"Mother's not going to take me is she?" He'd hear some of it then.

"No. It means we're going to have to be even more careful though. We can't have you running off anywhere alone. From now on you either stay with myself or Clark," Damian's eyebrow's went up in question "He's an ally now. He's going to try and help us."

"What was that about Clark?" Lex queried.

"I was telling Damian that I think it would be best if he went to a couple of Clark's lectures when you went out of town next week. Also that he's going to start coming to work with me. It's not that I don't trust you-"

"I get it Bruce. I'm not as badass as you," Lex joked and held his hands out for Bruce to help him up "As for the sleeping arrangements I'll have another bed put in my room. There's no way I'm giving it up just because we have to room."

"Fair enough," He turned to Damian "Looks like you won't have to long to walk to wake Lex up now." The boy smirked and cast his evil gaze to Lex.

"What?"

Damian was bouncing on the bed as Bruce checked the entry ways into Lex's room. One of the upsides was that he was allowed to use Lex's luxury shower which he indulged in for a whole hour.

"Dami," Bruce called and had the boy over in seconds. He looked out the window with him and pointed out a couple of strategic points Bruce had almost missed.

"So what's with the bat wings?" Lex called.

"Covers the scar," He traced the ones across Damian's shoulders.

"And you chose bats because..."

"I'm afraid of them," He carried Damian over to their bed "When I was travelling one of the things they taught was that I couldn't let fear control me. I had to control it. It meant a lot of scarring nights trapped in bat caves but now... I don't mind them so much. Getting them to cover the scar seemed right at the time."

"It must have hurt," A brief image of Talia's blood drenched blade came to mind.

"It did. But its controlled. Damian has the same on his back," He turned the boy around to show Lex the two little wings that stretched across Damian's upper back "he couldn't stand the thought of not having one so I let him."

"He's a kid. Didn't he scream?" Bruce shook his head as Damian puffed his chest up.

"No," He stated and pointed to himself "Strong."

"He made the tattoo artist cry because they were a different shade to mine," Bruce grinned. Lex rolled his eyes at how typical that response was.

"You know, I thought you'd changed when I first saw you. You have a kid and you've been on so many adventures that I don't even want to know about. But you are exactly the same as when you left. More so. It's like your time away allowed you to come into yourself," Bruce shrugged not knowing how to reply to that. "It must be nice to know who you are."

"You know who you are too Lex. Anyone who lives and rebel's under the stern gaze of Lionel Luther knows who they are. They have to, otherwise they'd be just like him," He comforted.

A comfortable silence descended on them which was broken as Lex announced "I think that's enough bonding tonight. I'm gonna try..."

"Yeah," He held the covers up as Damian burrowed himself beneath them. "Night Dami," Bruce muttered and ruffled the boys hair.

He took up his post at the window after locking the door to watch out for any attempt of Talia's. The night was long and little happened. When morning came Damian came and burrowed into his lap for a while before jumping on Lex to wake up.

"I'm going to end up killing him," Lex muttered as he stalked past.

"Good luck," He waited for Lex to get ready before they all had breakfast and went to Lex's training room. "Right," Damian was jumping in excitement "I think we'll start with a flying side kick. See if you can get that bag from here," He showed Damian the stopping point and let him loose.

Lex busied himself on the other side of the room. Setting up his equipment as he was prone to do when Lana was coming over. Bruce wondered if he knew that she felt somewhat the same about him. Having been privy to some of their interactions it was clear to anyone that watched there was something there between them.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He turned at Clark's greeting.

"What?" Clark rubbed his neck unconsciously.

"Lex says- never mind. I wanted to tell you about last night," He lowered his voice so as not to be overheard by Lana. The girl was glaring at them from her stance across the room with Lex.

"Did something happen?" He hoped from the lack of emotion on Clark's face that the attempt had been futile.

Clark brought him a little bit further away "They went for my parents," He hissed.

"I'm sorry," Was all he could think to say. Talia actually targeted people she knew Damian had taken a liking to. Low blow.

"Four of them attacked my house. It was only after they figured out people weren't coming back out that they stopped," Clark made himself visibly calm down. "Will they come back tonight?"

Bruce didn't know and told him so "I've never met anyone that could hold off so many attackers. Talia only employs the best and usually they get the job done. She may try again," Clark nodded. He most likely suspected as much.

Damian wandered over from his exercise "Hello," He greeted "Are we going to the farm?" He addressed to Bruce.

"No. You're coming to work with me this afternoon remember," Damian sighed and nodded. His disappointment evident on his face.

"Everything alright?" Bruce nodded.

"Actually. I have another thing to ask you," Clark narrowed his eyes at another one of Bruce's requests "I'm going to be working most days and Damian gets bored easily. If he was in a productive environment he probably wouldn't tire so easily."

"What are you getting at?"

"Can you take him to some of your lectures next week?" Clark looked to be about to protest "He likes you and I know from experience that you can bring kids into college so long as they keep quiet. Please, it's just Lex is gone next week on some buisness meeting and I need to leave for a while as well."

"Just a couple of days," Clark warned and Bruce nodded his agreement. He turned to Damian "How would you like to come to college with me?"

"Will there be talks on history?" Bruce translated and Clark nodded. Damian looked excited again "Is it on Greece? Rome? Who are you studying?"

Once again translating Clark answered "You'll just have to find out." Bruce took Damian over to the punching bags after that to work on his stances "Where did you learn to fight? I realise now I never asked you."

"I went travelling. Picked things up as a hobby whilst I was doing so," He showed Damian how to lift his legs higher for certain kicks.

"Is this whilst you were in college? Lex said you were at Princeton together and I wondered how you fit all your travelling in around your course," He spied Lex watching them from his side of the room.

Waving at him to show he knew he said "I dropped out. Lex and I were friends before college if that's what your trying to figure out."

Clark blushed "How'd you know I was fishing for Lex?"

"You're rather obvious," Bruce smirked as Clark reddened further. "He's told you and so have I. We used to be in school together. He transferred and we met up again in college. If you want school photo's you're going to have to wait until I go home. I don't have any on me at the moment."

Clark laughed "That's alright."

"Anything else you want to know?" Judging from the look on Clark's face there was tonnes of things he wanted to know.

He stalled a while before choosing his next one "Lionel. You don't trust him, why?"

Bruce bit his lip thinking how best to phrase his opinion "I knew him when Lex and I were younger. The man may have changed now but my perception of him will always be that of a professional manipulator. He removed anyone he thought an obstacle and took anything he could for leverage."

"Is that why you don't want him knowing you're here. You think he can use something against you?" Bruce nodded gazing absent-mindedly at his son. Clark caught the direction of his gaze "I doubt he'd use Damian. I know him a bit and from what I do he wouldn't use your son."

"Others have. What makes him any different," He shook himself from the image of Talia that was always at the forefront of his thoughts "Besides if he discovered I was here. Really discovered, then I'd never be free of him. He'd be nice to me and dote on me whilst I was here and as soon as I came into my own..." The intentions were clear.

Clark looked him over "How famous are you?"

"Depends on what you read," Bruce looked to change the subject from his secrets and caught the frustrated look Lana was sending them. "Trouble in paradise?"

Clark frowned and looked over to where Lana was furiously punching Lex's gloved hands "She's not happy I wanted to come over."

"Why's that then?" He wondered how much Clark sensed about Lana and Lex's relationship.

The man shrugged "She said I was smothering her. Even when I told her I was coming to see you, not following her, she was still upset. I just don't get her."

"Women are such mysteries," Bruce observed with a smile.

"Tell me about it," Clark muttered. He tried for a joke "At least Lana doesn't try and kill me when we've had a disagreement though huh?"

Bruce kept his easy going smile "Talia's not trying to kill me. She's trying to win me back. All this," He waved his hands "Is just her way of showing her love." Clark looked horrified "Still, you have a point."

Clark looked to be trying to ignore what he just learned "I don't suppose you have any advice?"

Bruce shook his head "I've given up on them. If you want advice, go to Lex."

Clark cringed "I think I'll pass. His advice is awfully cryptic. Sometimes I just want to shake the answers out of him."

"You're Lex sounds much more interesting than mine," Bruce observed and sent a funny look over at Lex to put him off his training. It worked judging from the pained look he sent Bruce's way.

"I'd best be going," Clark suggested as Lana sent them another pointed look.

"Good luck," Bruce said. Clark understood that it wasn't about Lana. "Oh and Clark. If things don't work out with Lana, I'll be more than happy to show you what the other gender has to offer," He suggested and watched Clarks eyes go wide.

"You're- Oh." Clark ran out of the training room so fast he was almost a blur.


	5. Chapter 5

The Talon on Tuesday was incredibly boring. He had spent most of the morning daydreaming about sleeping. He missed sleeping.

"Are you sure you don't want to take your break?" One of the girls asked. He said no and continued drifting off into space. He hadn't bothered learning anyone's names yet. One he didn't really care and two, there were a lot of girls working at the Talon. Bruce couldn't be bothered learning all of their names.

He'd just got to the most pleasant part of thinking about lying in when Talia placed her order. "Take as long as you like," She handed over a hundred "Keep the change."

"Thanks," He didn't move from his spot to do her order yet. Preferring to try and ignore her for as long as possible.

She took the seat in front of him and annoyingly blocked his view of the window "If you came back you wouldn't have to work in decrepit places like this. Someone like you should be wrapped in silks not working like a peasant."

He sighed "I take it your plan of murdering people hasn't taken off yet." Why else would she be here.

His suspicions were confirmed as she pouted "It seems your toy boy has skills that surpass my men."

"He is skilled," Bruce mused.

"He'd be an asset to us," She countered. Bruce lifted off the counter to fill her order. Thinking all the while about what she had revealed. So she wanted Clark working for them.

"He would," Bruce agreed and set her coffee down "But since you tried to murder his parents I doubt he'd be so inclined to work for you."

"Not me, us." She insisted "It'd be ideal. A man like that could make small work of our enemies. Maybe even make it so we won't have to kill them. And if you want to sow some of your wiles with him you know I'll look the other way. Think about it, everything you want is there if you can convince him."

Tempting though it was Bruce had to point out "Too bad he's straight."

"So was Rahim," She pointed out. Bruce thought back to Talia's second in command. He didn't seem straight.

"No he wasn't," He denied.

"His wife would say otherwise," She smirked pointedly as Bruce remembered all those times he'd heard Rahim say he had to get home to someone. "I'm sure if you can get a married man to cheat on his wife this Clark won't be too much of a challenge."

"Maybe," He conceded "But there's still the problem of me not wanting to be with you."

Talia sighed and pushed her empty cup towards him "You and I both know that's not true. You're just being stubborn because I upset you. But Bruce, if you just accept what has and was always bound to happen then perhaps you can see you still have feelings for me." He didn't give her a reply since there was nothing he could say to convince her she was wrong. "I'll see you later. Perhaps you'll be in a more forgiving mood."

She walked towards the exit and had Bruce not been watching her from the corner of his eye he may have missed the sheen of silver hidden in her shirt. Not even thinking he bounded over the counter and caught Talia's outstretched arm as it was about to make contact with one of the waitresses neck. Locking it in place he took Talia outside and into the alley around the side. Snatching the dagger from her he blocked the punch she sent. Brought down by his leg being swept out he tried to change it into a sweeping kick and caught her as well. Rolling to avoid her back lash he tried to pin her down. Having been trained to kill Talia knew better than to let Bruce on top of her and power kicked him back. Advantage to her, she made as if to break one of his arms when he surged up and kissed her.

Whether it was the adrenalin coursing through their bodies or the memories that sparring brought back of happier times. For a while he was sucked back into Talia's world. She seemed to have missed him almost as much as he missed her and turned her attack into an embrace in seconds. A new battle was waged as they pushed and climbed around each other. He felt down her sides. Familiar curves and bumps that were knives and weapons concealed close to her answered his touches as she pulled his hair. Her nails scratched at the side of his neck and no doubt bled so he reached up and clasped her hands. Pulling them up and to either side of her head he kept them trapped on the trash can with one of his. With the other hand he impaled one of her daggers into her clasped hands.

"Stay away," he growled and left her howling after him. Her pride would be wounded but she wouldn't try and attack anyone personally for the rest of the day.

He tried to play off what had almost happened in the Talon by making excuses about his ex. The waitress seemed to understand and waved off his concerns for her. He made sure to wipe her lipstick off yet still his lips were red and smudged after five napkins.

"Try this," He turned as Lana walked over and handed him a wet napkin with some kind of solution on it.

"How was college?" The lipstick came right off.

"Chloe's starting to believe Clark's got superpowers," He turned slightly to listen more intently "It's nothing. Like I said, she comes up with wild stories." Maybe not so wild. "I'm sure you want to take off now. And next time, try pink. Red's not really your colour."

Bruce nodded his goodbye and left his apron on the counter. He checked in the alley to make sure Talia was really gone. All that remained was a dagger she'd left. The blood on it showed that she'd left it purposefully for him. He took it, despite the offence it caused and headed towards the Kent farm.

Damian ran over as soon as he saw him and told him all about the history lecture he'd heard. Clark was hiding away in the Kent house and it was Mrs Kent that said goodbye to them. It seemed that he'd scared the poor boy off with his comment the other day and loved regaling Lex with what Clark did to avoid him.

"How's mother?" Bruce sighed and stopped to let Damian hop on his back. He could never keep anything from his son.

"She's well. Her suits are pristine and weapons sharper than ever," He handed the dagger he'd picked up to him. Damian fiddled around with it in front of Bruce's face. "She misses us."

"I don't want to go bac-"

"I know," He consoled "We're not. She was just trying to make a point."

Damian sighed against his neck "We're going to have to move on soon father. I know you're complacent here but we had a plan."

'Father', Damian must be worried. "We still do have a plan. It's just that things aren't how I thought they would be when we finally got to America." He thought back to his last check on Gotham. The stocks in his company were too high to buy back. Weapons manufacturing was going strong and everything his parents had worked for was in ruins. "You're right though. I have become too complacent. I think it's time we started acting."

"We're moving then?" Damian didn't want to move anymore than he did apparently.

"Not yet. But I think a trip to Gotham is in order. You need to meet Alfred after all," He was already making plans in his head.

"You'll inform Luther?" He nodded. Damian handed the dagger back and clung tightly to his neck. It wasn't a hug but it was close enough.

Lex wasn't too happy in their new arrangements. "My father will want to know why I'm sending a car to Gotham."

"We won't take the car then," Bruce amended.

"Of course you're taking the car," Lex scoffed. Damian picked at Lex's new buys. He'd bought Damian a new pair of pyjama's which he wasn't too happy about "Father will probably want to come with us," He shuddered.

"So we'll put Dami in the boot. How's that?" The boy smiled and agreed.

"You're not putting him in the boot!" Lex stopped himself from shouting at Bruce "Look, can't you just do your work from here. Do you really need to go to Gotham. He'll find out who you are."

Bruce pointed out that "Damian needs to meet Alfred. I hate the idea that he thinks I'm dead. Besides, I need to get near Wayne Enterprise headquarters."

Lex narrowed his eyes "Why?"

Bruce plastered on the most innocent look he could "I just want to see what they've done with the place."

His friend knew better than to believe his look "If you blow that building up-"

"Blow it up! I'm not some terrorist. It's my company after all," Lex still wasn't convinced. Rolling his eyes Bruce promised "I won't do anything life threatening to them. Happy?"

"No, but it's good enough." Lex pulled his phone out to make arrangements so Bruce slid to the floor and pawed through the pyjama's Lex had bought him too. Apparently he was 'sick of their nudity' and got them as soon as possible.

"Do I have to wear them?" Daddy's little nudist, that's what Damian was. Ruffling the boys hair Bruce said yes.

"Think of it this way. If you have a weapon, you can hide it better," The boy rolled his eyes and stole one of his instead.

"If I have a weapon I can hide it better," He argued and ran off with it down the halls. Bruce gave chase.

Lex told them that everything had been booked for Friday but that his father had caught wind of their excursion to Gotham.

"He's going to find out," Lex pressed.

"I'll figure something out," Bruce promised and made a note to see Clark later this week. "Did you manage to persuade him not to come with us."

Lex scoffed "I made it seem like we were having a dirty weekend away if that's what you're asking."

"Oh for God's sake," that meant Lionel was coming with them.

"Look, the way I see it is that we'll keep to the hotel room and you can sneak out the window or something," Bruce arched an eyebrow.

"Are you going to cover for me?" He would stick around at least five minutes before he left if Lex was.

"Shut up and eat your food," Definitely sticking around.

Bruce cornered Clark the next day in the Talon. The boy had foolishly came in to see his girlfriend when Bruce was on his shift. Waiting for them to stop their love sick eyes he pretended to clean and sidled over to Clark's table.

"You shouldn't drink alone," He quipped.

Clark looked like a deer in the headlights "I'm not. Chloe's coming."

"Listen. I was just joking the other day. If I made you uncomfortable then I'm sorry," Clark relaxed slightly.

"I don't have a problem with you," Bruce gave him an incredulous look "I don't. I'm just a bit shocked how comfortable you are with it."

He shrugged and made sure he wasn't needed on the counter before sitting opposite Clark "When you have an ex like mine you need to make your orientation loud or she won't hear. Still hasn't heard actually."

Latching onto the chance to change the subject Clark confessed "Lana told me you got lucky yesterday. Maybe if you showed her off to your ex she might leave you alone."

Cringing Bruce told him "It was Talia. It was nothing though. I just kissed her so she wouldn't break my arm."

Clark gazed incredulously at him "Remind me to never fall in love with you."

"Noted." He made sure they wouldn't be overheard "Speaking of Talia. I need to push forwards with my plans but there's been a complication. My son and I were meant to go to Gotham on Friday but Lionel has decided to join us. I was wondering if you would mind taking Damian down separately."

"You want me to drive to Gotham?" Bruce nodded. A thoughtful look overcame Clark's face "Is that where you're from?"

"Does it matter? Will you take him?" Chloe had just entered the coffee house and made a beeline for them.

"Sure. You're gonna have to tell me where to meet you though," Bruce nodded and said his goodbyes.

On Thursday Bruce had Damian stay over at the Kents so Clark could take Damian straight to Wayne Manor. Friday saw Bruce donning one of Lex's tank tops and a pair of jeans. He spent the entire ride trying to make Lionel rue the day he stepped foot in the car. Flirting and sending innuendo's Lex's way at every opportunity. When they stopped to fill up they left Lionel in the car and laughed behind the gas station for five minutes at the look Lionel had given them.

They spent the next coming up with more idea's to make Lionel squirm. Ending up with a popsicle and going to the car dishevelled by the time they got to Gotham Lionel didn't want anything more to do with them that day.

"Why don't you boys head off into the city. I think I'll go take a lie down before tonight," Agreeing, they set off down streets Bruce hadn't seen since he was sixteen.

"I think that went well," Lex noted, laughing every now and then at a remembered look his father had pulled.

"Same. Now then," He looked around "How do you suppose we should get to my house."

"You don't fancy walking?" Bruce sent him a narrow look.

"You want to walk in Gotham?" Lex conceded that his plan hadn't been that well thought out.

"Bus? Cab? Please say cab?" he rolled his eyes but let Lex hail them a cab.

"You're so private school," Bruce remarked as Lex sprouted off the Drake manor's address. They couldn't say Wayne Manor in case it looked suspicious. Already the papers were going to be saying Lex was having an affair with him. No need to plaster any more suspicions.

"You went to private school," Lex muttered.

"Yes but as you recall I got kicked out of five. I hope Dami's there," He watched as the GCPD went past, then the hospital his father used to work at. His fingers felt numb at being back here.

Finally the taxi stopped at the Drake manor and Lex paid the man. They waited for him to go out of sight before journeying down a few more streets to the winding road that led to his wrought iron gates.

"Do we buzz?" As he spoke Bruce was climbing the gate. Over it, he let Lex in with little difficulty. "If we get done for breaking and entering..."

"You have so little faith in me," He spotted a red pick up truck idling at the manor door. An elderly man was shouting rather fervently at Clark and Damian.

"Good luck," Lex wished and went to wait in Clark's truck as Bruce went to rescue the weary travellers.

"...Bringing this boy here. You have some nerve!" Alfred ranted pointing to Damian.

"Alfred stop!" The man did if only to glare at Bruce. He motioned Damian over to him and the boy came willingly. "Thanks," He smiled to Clark and the teen went to wait with Lex in the truck.

"Who are you?" Alfred demanded.

He smiled weakly "Surely you remember me. You practically brought me up." Something softened in Alfred's eyes even if he refused to admit what he was seeing. "It's me Alfred. I swear. Ask me anything, something only I'd know if you don't believe me."

Calling his bluff Alfred challenged "Very well, on the night your parents died what did I do to comfort you?"

"You didn't. You read me Sherlock Holmes as the police went through our things. At the end of the night you sent me to my room and told me breakfast was to be served late the next day," Alfred peered closely at him. Seeming to survey him for any subterfuge. Finding none he nodded his head and stepped into Wayne Manor's doors with a request for them to follow. Seeing his old friend act so nonchalance made the fact he was home, at last, sink in. "Come on Dami," He called and had his son running into the manor before the sentence was out.

Lex followed after which left Clark starting his truck at the bottom of the drive. Bruce gave his invitation to stop a while but Clark declined "I promised I'd help around the farm. Pa's not as young as he used to be."

"Are you sure?" Clark nodded and cast a look to the manor behind him.

"So, you're definitely someone I'd know if I looked you up huh?" Bruce smirked "How long are you staying here then?"

"Not long. Damian'll be the one staying anyway. We're just here for the night and leaving for Smallville tomorrow," Seeing Clark's questioning stare he answered "It's not secure enough for us to come back here yet. You're stuck with me a while longer I'm afraid."

Clark hummed and put his seatbelt on "Well then, guess I'll have to make the most of it when you come back." He drove up the road and out of the gates. Bruce hopped up the steps to join Lex and Damian in the entrance hall. His mind couldn't help but go back to Clark's parting comment, it was almost flirtatious in its delivery. Most likely he did it unconsciously but still, some part of Clark wasn't completely scared off from Bruce.

"Your butler hates me," Lex interrupted. Bruce snapped back into reality to see his friend casting wary looks at the man telling Damian to twirl for him.

"Are you sure?" Lex nodded.

"I think my father's been here recently. Or his last visit left an impression. Either way he doesn't look too happy to have me in here," Lex looked genuinely afraid of Alfred's sweeping stare. Bruce chuckled to himself and told Lex not to leave his side or else Alfred would have more reason to glare.

Damian trotted over after Alfred dismissed him "He said he's going to get me some cookies," He grinned and looked around the fancy interior again "Are we really going to live here?"

"Soon," Bruce promised. "You'll have to pick out your own room while we're here today though. I'm going to ask Alfred if you can stay in the manor instead of the hotel with me."

Damian frowned "You promised we'd do this together."

"And we are. But you need a place to stay tonight after we're done. This is ideal, not to mention I don't trust your mother not to have put spies around this place," the boy nodded seriously.

"Shall we retire to the parlour room?" Alfred intoned. Lex visibly jumped as he appeared in front of them. Once they were all seated the questions that had been burning at the front of Alfred's mind came spewing forth in a scathing comment of "Do you wish to tell me where you've been Master Bruce or shall I expect another post card to add to my collection."

Wincing he gave the briefest version he could. Alfred saw through his gaps straight away but kept his mouth shut. Even he knew the importance of keeping secrets, especially when a Luther was present. When Bruce told about his tiff with Talia Alfred cast a small look towards where Damian was keeping a sentry post. He knew it couldn't have been easy to see Damian. Bruce was just losing his puppy fat when he left Alfred and before that the butler only knew Bruce in the image Damian showed. He must have thought some sick joke was being played.

Finally he concluded his story and had Alfred fill him in on the situation in Gotham. Most of it was what he already knew. It was interesting to hear Alfred's side of the story though. Bruce queried here and there about small things which would help them later and by the end of the hour they were all exhausted from talking.

Alfred had agreed to let Damian stay in the manor for the night so as he tidied their things Bruce led Damian around the manor. Lex kept close but even he couldn't help but stop every now and then to look at something Bruce pointed out.

"And this is where you slept?" Damian asked looking in another bedroom. Bruce told him no and watched as Damian scampered off to the next room and asked the same question.

"I'll tell you when we get there," He promised but Damian still asked every door they went to. One room he stopped Damian from running off to the next and pulled him inside. All of his old things were there. The drawings he used to do for his father, then as he got older the plans he made for when he was better than what he was. "Do you see them?" Damian turned to look at the painting Bruce pointed out. Hung on the far wall the faces, though worn in acrylics, were staring with mirth out at them. "Those are your grandparents."

"They were nice people," Lex commented from the side. "I remember meeting them only once and they were always nice to me. Went out of their way to be nice in fact."

Damian surveyed the painting carefully. His little fingers tracing over what he could reach "They seem weak. But I suppose appearances can be deceiving."

"True," Bruce agreed "But you have to remember that this world doesn't judge people on their strength in battle but in life. They were strong by sticking to their convictions, even at the end my father tried to help someone rather than hand our things over weakly."

Damian looked over the painting again "I'd like to pay my respects."

"We will before we leave," After the study Bruce carried Damian so he couldn't ask any more questions and deposited the boy in his old room. Little had changed here from when he had left either. It brought about a feeling of happiness and despair that Alfred had the thought not to touch anything. Damian took no heed of this sanctuary Alfred had created and delved into Bruce's old things. "You can have anything that fits," He advised when Damian rifled through his wardrobe.

"Bring pyjama's," Lex called and rooted under Bruce's bed for something.

"If you're looking for porn I don't have any in here," Lex glared at him but it turned pleased when he found what he was looking for. A sketchbook, his old sketchbook to be precise, "Give it," He reached.

"Like hell," Lex spent the next ten minutes guffawing his way through Bruce's art. He wasn't a bad artist but many of his drawings centred on distorting those he found annoying. He was saved when Lex's phone rang and a spitting of "Father," meant they had to leave.

"...be good for Alfred and make sure you don't break anything before I come and get you," He finished and hugged Damian goodbye.

Alfred waved them off and turned in with Damian when they reached the fence. "He'll be fine," Lex reassured "Alfred raised you after all."

He went to fetch Damian after two awful lectures and an excruciatingly funny dinner. Lionel had retired early when Bruce 'accidentally' spilled wine down Lex's shirt. A blatant innuendo and Lex and he were holed up in their room whilst Lionel recovered from his trauma in the next.

"I won't be long," Lex rolled his eyes and changed as Bruce opened their window "If your dad gets too near the room you know what to do." He was to pretend Bruce had went to get room service.

"Make sex noises?" He asked sarcastically and huffed when he realised when Bruce was considering the idea "Just go."

The ride to Wayne Manor was different in the dark. Gotham lived in the shadows and drew memories best left forgotten to the surface. Hailing a taxi was hard since all they wanted to do was go to sleep and forget like the rest of the city. One eventually stopped and drove him as safe as Bruce let it to his home. Retrieving Damian was easy since Alfred just handed the boy over and soon they were standing outside one of his buildings.

He said his, really it was just a building with his name on. "In and out Dami," The boy nodded and pulled his hood up. Bruce did the same as they walked to the adjacent building. At the roof it was a short jump to their building and an easy drop to get inside.

Bruce set to work on looping the cameras as Damian kept watch for guards. One crossed wire and the whole building was recoding the same thing over again. They had at least three minutes until the alarm was called and set off quickly towards the surveillance room. It wasn't easy to find and they never would have got there in time anyway.

The camera's were really just a distraction to get in the vents. Dusty and cramped but still manageable they crawled quietly through the building towards two men camped out in front of monitors. The alarm blared and told them the police had been called. Normal stations would have sent a patrol and would be here in minutes. Gotham police meant they had a good ten before someone decided to check out the disturbance.

Bruce dropped and knocked the guards unconscious and sent Damian with directions to the garage. Hundreds of cars gleamed from the monitor and Bruce was a bit envious that Damian was the one to destroy them but focused on the more technical side to their operation. Calling off the alarm and reassuring the police that everything was fine was easy. What proved to be a challenge was erasing their ghost images from the camera. He managed to do it in time to see Damian laugh maniacally on top of a pile of crashed cars. Light in hand he ignited the trail of petrol to his left and ran for the door. Bruce rang the fire station and met Damian at the front entrance with the two security guards and a fire alarm telling others who hadn't evacuated to do so.

They stole into the shadows as blue lights flashed and slick cars pulled up. Bruce recognised some of his board members and made notes as to who worked on this enterprise.

They stayed until the flames were put out then Bruce towed Damian to the street to hail a taxi. "Will it have worked?" He gave directions to the Drake house.

"Probably. We'll see tomorrow. If not then we'll have to come back and try again," He kept a smile up in the back as the driver shot them suspicious looks. He supposed seeing a man and boy covered in soot and smelling of petrol sent the same signals as it did anywhere. It didn't help they weren't speaking English.

He paid the driver and had Damian tucked up in bed as three o clock struck. Alfred hung in the doorway with an unreadable expression on his face as Bruce checked the windows in his old room. He supposed it was Damian's now, his own room would be his parents just as his father had taken it when his father died. It didn't matter which room he was in he thought since there were ghosts everywhere in Gotham.

"Will you be returning soon?" Alfred intoned.

"Yes. Before that I have a favour to ask," Alfred arched an eyebrow.

"And if I decline?"

"You won't," He relayed his plan to the man and found Alfred oddly agreeable. With everything in place he made sure Damian was alright once again and made his way back to the hotel.

Alfred gave him a "Goodbye," At the door and almost an embrace making him believe they had made some progress towards forgiveness.

Choosing to walk instead of a taxi, mainly because he had no money, he watched familiar streets grow out of the darkness. It was uncanny how he'd travelled the world and seen so many things yet Gotham still struck him the most. There was something unreal about it that seduced and frightened him at the same time.

He was turning the corner that led to an ice cream parlour when he was run over by a small boy. Stepping back he kept his space as the boy panted wildly and tried to sit up on grazed palms. Colourfully adorned Bruce wondered where he came from.

He chanced asking when the boy bust out into tears "Are you alright?"

"Leave me alone," He wailed and pulled himself up "I don't need help, just leave."

"I wasn't offering... you're hurt, why don't I take a look at it," The boy cried even harder "I promise I won't do anything," He held his hands up to show he wasn't lying and the boy hesitantly held his hands out. Bruce looked them over "They're just grazed. Put them under some water and you'll be fine." Stepping back when he was finished so as not to come across as threatening he peered around for any indication to where the boy came from.

He didn't move as Bruce scoured the walls and alley. Curling in on himself as the seconds went past he sobbed harder now he was at a standstill. It was the boys clothing that gave Bruce the idea to look in the parlour window. They held advertisements for upcoming events and sure enough there was a poster for a circus. He tapped the glass to get the boys attention and asked if he was coming from there. The answer was just more crying.

Not knowing what to do but resolved that he couldn't just leave him there Bruce went back over to the boy and tried to placate him into following him. Hesitant at first, Bruce eventually had to give the boy a pipe lying around so he knew he could get away if Bruce tried to hurt him.

He led the boy down a different route. One not to the hotel. This one was not well known and if Bruce was honest with himself he hadn't been here since he was nine. Arriving outside of the police station the boy tried to make a run for it when Bruce opened the door. Promising not to give him into the police they took another route. Up flights of stairs and a short jump to the GCPD roof he sat the boy down with the promise he was there to help and hoped he'd still be there when he got back.

There was hardly anyone working when he went in. Those who were differed between falling asleep at their desk or watching television with their friends. Looking for a competent cop he saw only one man working at his desk. Actually working as well when Bruce knocked.

A frazzled look and smoking way more than he should a day the man looked up with a genuine interest and asked "Can I help you?"

"Yes," Bruce closed the door behind him "I found a boy on the streets. He seems to have gotten lost from the circus in town."

The man looked excited and rifled through his papers pulling up a photo "Not this one?"

It was the boy "Yes. He doesn't want to come in though."

The man nodded "Too right," He muttered and rubbed his chin "Where is he?"

"On the roof. But like I said, he doesn't want you involved. I only brought him here because I couldn't leave him," The man got up quickly and pushed past Bruce and his protests to take to the roof.

The boy was where he left him with the pipe firmly in hand. A betrayed look crossed his face when he saw Bruce following a cop. The man didn't take the boy downstairs. Instead he knelt before him and muttered his condolences.

"I know you don't want to go to an orphanage but it's the best place for you. Your parents killer is still out there, we don't know if he'll come for you next," The man argued.

The boy shook his head "I've heard stories. I'm not going! You can't make me!"

The man knew this wasn't true and looked to be finding a way of telling the boy "Listen, the circus can't keep you. Mr Haley relinquished any guardianship he had over you when the police arrived. Right now it's the law that you go to an orphanage. I wish it weren't true but that's the way things are."

The boy appealed to Bruce "You said you'd help," He accused.

Bruce didn't know why he did it. He argued that Lex had the space and Damian would benefit with having a brother but really he knew it was the look the boy had in his eyes. Bruce recognised a kindred spirit when he saw it. This boy had lost just what Bruce had all those years ago. He didn't know where to go in a world that was telling him to move on and that was why he suggested.

"He can come stay with me," The man looked just as shocked as Bruce felt "I have the space and a boy of my own. You can rest easy that he'll be safe with me."

The man rubbed his chin again "We can't just hand over someone like that. There needs to be background checks and paperwork."

"I can fill and mail the paperwork. As for the background checks, you an I both know if that were true half the places in this city would be shut down," The man seemed considering.

"What do I tell the commissioner? I can't just say some stranger picked him up Mr..." He fished.

"Wayne," Bruce pressed "And I'd appreciate it if you came up with something a bit more reliable than that. Perhaps an uncle or distant relative. Anything that won't cause suspicion, I'm trying to stay as low as our friend here."

The idea appealed to the man, Bruce could tell. By four Bruce was being given paperwork to fill out with the promise of anonymity until Bruce chose to make it public. The secrecy worked out in both his and, as he found out, Richard's favour since they were both trying to keep low.

He took Richard back to the hotel with him. Hesitantly waking Lex up as the boy slipped into bed. He hadn't spoken a word since he told Bruce his name and he half expected Richard to be gone in the morning. Still Bruce kept hopeful and shook Lex again.

"Go away," He moaned.

"But the mission went great. Only problem was that I think it has a back up," Lex blinked blearily up at him.

"Okay," He agreed and tried to turn over to sleep.

"Oh, and I also adopted a kid. His name's Richard, is it okay if he stays while I sort everything out?" Lex shot up in shock. Not seeming to believe Bruce until a little leg under the covers moved.

"Please dead God tell me that's Damian," He growled.


	6. Chapter 6

Bruce waited for Richard to wake up. Lex hadn't spoken a word since he saw Bruce's new arrival and had stormed out this morning when Bruce asked for breakfast. He couldn't go out and get it himself since he had to wait for Richard. Not to mention Lionel was lurking outside their door. No doubt he was waiting to ambush and threaten Bruce away from his son now that Lex was out of favour with Bruce.

Looking at the blue leotard the boy wore he knew they'd have to make a stop at the circus before they left. Or take some of his old clothes from the manor. He didn't ponder on that too much right now.

The clock chimed ten when Richard finally woke up. Bruce jumped from his perch at the window to see to him "How are you feeling? Are your hands better?" He inspected them and found them to be healing well.

"You're not going to start shouting are you?" Bruce looked up in confusion. Richard looked genuinely worried "I can leave if there's a problem."

He remembered Lex's foul mood "Oh, no it's fine. Lex is always mad about something or other. If we do shout the worst he can do is kick me out. So, do you want breakfast?"

He nodded and rose. Bruce took to the door and scoured their room, ushering Richard through once he was sure it was clear. Doing the same the rest of the way down Bruce resolved that they wouldn't be eating in the hotel. Mostly because Lionel was keeping a look out for him with a sullen Lex next to him.

Changing course he pulled Richard out the hotel and started up the familiar path to Wayne Manor. "Are we going to the circus?"

"Later," He promised "We need to get your things. For now, we're having breakfast in my house where you can meet Damian."

"That's your son?" Bruce nodded "What's he like?" Bruce could tell the sudden interest was to do with getting his mind off last night rather than genuine interest.

"He's Damian," Was all Bruce could say.

It took twenty minutes to reach his manor. They got a few curious looks from passers by but other than that they weren't bothered on their way. He climbed over the gate and let Richard in. The nearness of the door making him nervous for some reason. He didn't bother knocking since Alfred knew he was coming back today and let himself in. Richard followed slowly behind him and took his time in admiring the pieces Wayne Manor offered him.

Damian and Alfred were in the kitchen. Thankfully food was still being served and Bruce happily helped himself to some of Alfred's home cooking. Damian seemed excited to see him. He even hopped off his chair and thrust a new sketchbook into his hands. But that smile went off his face when Richard came down.

"Father, there seems to be some boy following you," Bruce cast a look to a nervous Richard and motioned the boy forwards to the table. Alfred took the new guest in stride and merely sighed before turning back to the oven.

"Damian this is Richard. He's going to be staying with us from now on," He introduced and turned to Richard "This is my son Damian."

Richard held his hand out "Hi."

Damian turned to him "I don't understand. Why is he staying with us?"

"His parents died last night in an accident. There's an investigation going on and I thought it would be best if he stayed with us. You don't know it Damian but the orphanages around here aren't somewhere you'd want to stay." He pushed his son forwards "Be nice to him."

Damian glared at the still outstretched hand. "Are you sure this is wise Master Bruce?" Alfred called.

"Yep," he left the boys to it and dug into the food freshly made. "Lex has the space even if it's temporary. Anyway it seemed like the right thing to do."

Damian hopped on the seat nearest to him still eyeing Richard who sat on his other side. Alfred turned to the boy "What do you like for breakfast then master Richard?"

"Anything's fine thank you," Richard muttered "And it's Dick. I don't like Richard much."

Alfred nodded and went back to cooking. Bruce gave instructions to both boys that he had to get back to the hotel. Clark had promised to pick them up at twelve which meant they had just enough time, with Alfred's help, for one trip to the circus.

What would usually have been a place of happiness and mystery was murky and grief stricken. The tent was packed and left a muddy field behind where trailers and animals roamed. Dick seemed right at home and accepted hugs from the many people that offered their condolences. Damian stuck by Bruce throughout the whole ordeal and only wandered once when he caught sight of a lion. It took some time for them to see Mr Haley who was just as upset as Dick about the cordoned off area. He let Dick take his possessions but drew the line at some of his parent's old costumes saying they were needed for other performers.

Lastly he let Dick say his goodbyes to his parents. Damian looked on sullenly as Dick took his time but Bruce knew that it wasn't going to get easier, he needed this time to say that first goodbye. Alfred drove them back but made a detour at Bruce's request towards the old cemetery where many of his ancestors lay. Weaving their way through headstones they came to rest at two relatively new ones with his parents names.

Damian had more interest in these bodies and gladly paid his respects as Bruce led Dick over to a patch of even ground.

"I know you don't want to think about it but if you'd like I can have Alfred bury your parents here. We won't be in Smallville forever and this way if you want to come see them you can. Any time," Dick sniffed and looked out at the ghostly headstones that weren't there yet.

"But they're not your family," He argued.

"No, but they're yours. And if you like you can be part of mine. So that makes them family just as much as you," He ignored the 'tt' Damian sent their way and concentrated on the little nod Dick gave.

Alfred was more than happy to arrange the burial privately and made phone calls as soon as he was in their entrance hall. Bruce hugged both boys goodbye and told Damian specifically to be nice and pack things he thought would fit Dick as well as himself.

"Does he have to come?" Damian whined on the front steps.

"He's your brother now. Of course he has to come," Sighing Bruce crouched in front of Damian "Think of it this way, you finally have someone to spend the day with. I'm sure Dick will play with you just as if not more than I do. You can teach him to spar and all those languages you know," He bargained. Damian didn't seem wholly convinced but there was some consideration. Time would have to convince him further.

"He's older than me," was Damian's last argument.

"So am I and yet you never hesitate to teach me something I don't know," the day was ticking away and Bruce needed to leave "Please Dami, do it for me."

"Fine," He grouched and slunk back into the manor.

He made it back to the hotel just as Lionel complained about Bruce's hair. Anything to put Lex off him Bruce supposed. He charmed his way into the car and smiled sweetly at the petulant look his friend sent him..

"You're an ass," Lex muttered.

"Takes one to know one," He sang and had a smile itching at the corners of Lex's mouth.

The car ride back was tense until they stopped for gas. One faux pas with an ice lolly and he was in Lex's good books again. By the time they reached Smallville they were giggling in the back of the car like school girls.

Bruce stayed the allotted time he could while Lionel strutted about the manor for some kind of inspection and made his excuse that he needed to check the rota for the Talon to get out. He arrived at the farm just as a red pick up truck sidled into the dirt and out popped Damian and Dick.

Clark shot him an unreadable expression as he unloaded the suitcase Damian had stole from the manor and observed that "Lex was right. You should not be left without supervision."

"Lex said that?" Clark nodded.

"It's true though. I leave you in Gotham for one night and you duplicate your offspring," Despite the scathing words Bruce could tell Clark was more amused than annoyed at his antics "How do you think Talia's going to react to this new kid?"

Cringing Bruce cast a look to where Dick was charming a confused Mrs Kent "I'm hoping she'll accept him. She has you after all," He muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Biting his lip he wondered if he should tell Clark about his recent offer from Talia. "What's she done Bruce?"

"Nothing, don't worry. She's just aware of your unnaturalness that's all," At Clark's look of shock Bruce commented "Well you have put half her men in hospital."

"So she knows. Did she say anything else? Like how she was going to get rid of me," Bruce shook his head.

"She doesn't want to get rid of you. Worse it seems, she wants you to work for us," He didn't look much happier about that.

"Work for you? So you're on board with this idea?" Clark accused.

"No. Obviously she thinks having you there will entice me to come back, so if you do get an offer please turn it down," Clark arched an eyebrow.

"And how will me accepting entice you to come back?" The hint of flirtatious undertones were back in Clark's voice.

"Well if you do accept then you'll also have accepted the job to be my... concubine? Something to that effect," Clark's smile was back.

"Then I'll definitely be declining," He commented.

Bruce clutched himself in mock hurt "I'll have you know I'm an excellent lover. One who lays with me never walks away unsatisfied."

"Hence Talia wanting you back?" Clark joked.

"Well..." they laughed despite the seriousness of the situation.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Bruce started as Dick seemed to appear out of nowhere. Pie etched around his mouth Bruce had a good idea where he'd been.

"I'm not," Clark answered "I have a girlfriend I'm afraid."

Dick looked disappointed "I like him," He pointed to Clark "You should have snatched him up."

"And we're leaving. Thank you Mrs Kent," He called and hoisted Dick on his shoulders. Shouting Damian over he took their things and headed away from the Kent farm.

"What did you do?" Damian accused. Dick having no idea what Damian was saying asked for a translation.

"Why does he think I've done something?" He addressed to Bruce but he could feel the boy looking at Damian.

"We usually stay longer than that," Damian shot back.

He felt Dick nod "I just asked if Clark was Bruce's boyfriend."

Damian pulled a face more grotesque than the one he pulled when Bruce told him he'd have to share a bed with Dick. "He's not," Bruce assured.

"You want him to be though," Damian shot up.

"What'd he say?" Dick clouded Bruce's vision. He was beginning to wish he'd taught Damian English from when he was born.

"Well you do," Damian argued and pulled a thoughtful face "Now that I think about it I think Clark would make an excellent partner for you. You should pursue him father."

"What? Why?" He was getting one of them a translation dictionary first chance he got.

"What's he saying?"

"Clark is a suitable match. He could probably take you in a fight and he's nice. He likes me and _him_ for some reason despite the fact he just met him. Also he has a bunch of horses and tonnes of chickens. If we moved in with him I'd get to play with them every day," How could a seven year old be so wise and childlike at the same time.

"Bruce, what's he saying," Dick climbed down from Bruce's shoulders to his back and asked Damian to repeat himself.

"He's furthering your point Dick," Bruce interrupted.  
"About Clark?" Damian nodded "Good." He turned to Damian "Does he let you play with the animals?" Bruce tuned them out after they had worked out a shake and nod conversation and marvelled at the progress they'd made.

Damian wasn't as bad as Bruce thought he would be when he introduced Dick. Even now it looked like they were to become fast friends. He told them to be quiet as they navigated the long hallways of Luther manor. Lionel could have been lurking anywhere and Damian seemed to sense this since he took to scouring the hallways before they walked them.

Depositing their things in Lex's room he had the boys change and took them out into the fields of Smallville until dark. Dick loved the open fields and Bruce smiled at the careless look he had on his face as he chased after Damian. Respites like these were few after a tragedy so horrid and Bruce wanted to make sure that he tried to make them last as long as he could.

After a long battle between the trees of a farmers field he took the boys inside to look for food. The cook had been notified of their newest guest and had food ready for three when they came to the kitchen. After asking around Bruce learnt that Lionel was indeed staying the night and leaving tomorrow for Metropolis

With Lex staying up late in his study, no doubt furthering his decent into alcoholism, Bruce was left to cater to the two boy's sleeping arrangements on his own. Damian was just as upset about having to share this morning as he was now. Dick seemed uncomfortable with the idea as well.

"Please," He begged.

"No," Damian turned his head away in defiance.

"But it's the only way we all get a bed. Unless you want to bunk with Lex..." The boy pouted and stormed to get changed so Bruce turned to the other one.

"Why are we all sleeping together if Lex has tonnes of bedrooms?" Dick asked quietly.

Bruce didn't want to have this conversation yet and told only a half truth "Lionel's still around. If he spots you or Damian in the manor he's going to start asking questions. Especially if he sees Damian," He muttered to himself.

Dick peered closely at him "This is about you being undercover isn't it?"

"Yes," Damian came out in familiar pyjama's and sat pointedly on his side of the bed "So we're going to have to make some compromises. I'm sorry for bringing you into this. I really should have thought this through."

Dick shook his head "You were being kind. It's fine if I have to share. Any thing's better than Gotham."

"Thank you," He showed Dick how to use the bathroom and left him to it to see to his son. Damian was still grumpy and showed it by kicking the covers as he climbed under them. "You'll grow to like him."

He didn't reply. Bruce tucked him in anyway and did the same for Dick when he came out. Taking his post at the window, Bruce settled down for a night of dozing in between watching for danger. He didn't think Talia would attack Lex, her position last they spoke had been about recruiting Clark. Still, Bruce didn't want to take the risk.

The moon rose higher and cast a illuminating glow through the window as Lex rolled into bed. He grunted more than spoke his good nights and was snoring into his pillow before his head hit it. One came and went, then two when he heard the tell tale signs of a boy in distress. Thinking it was Damian he turned and spoke softly in Arabic a tale Talia had taught him. It usually did the trick on nights where his childhood reared it's ugly head but when he saw Damian's eyes open and narrowed he knew it wasn't him in distress.

Dick was muttering low and tossing his head slightly. Damian sent him a 'do something' look as he turned his back on the situation. He couldn't help but chuckle at his son's unease and slid from his post to shake Dick awake.

It was awful to see the hope crash in his small blue eyes as he realised he wasn't at home. He looked around and stole the comforter from Lex's bed to wrap Dick up. Taking him with him to the window he tried to take the boy's mind off his nightmare until he fell asleep again. He took to trying to teach Dick some phrases in Arabic. The boring topic soon had him sleeping curled up on Bruce's lap. Depositing the boy back on the bed he sent a pointed look to the two beady eyes watching him.

Lex was in a horrid mood the next morning. Probably having to do with his hangover which he nursed repeatedly through breakfast. The sourness of his tone left no arguments that the boys couldn't be left in the manor with him whilst Bruce went to work. So with the promise of the most chocolatey muffins they could find being theirs he took them to the Talon. Stopping to pick up a couple of things he had the boys colouring at a table as he put his apron on.

Lana wasn't in yet but the waitress who'd almost died was. She spent half her shift asking Bruce why he hadn't said he had two kids and cooing over Dick. The boys got more free drinks and sweets they could ever need.

Keeping one eye on them he continued serving drinks to the teens and adults spending their Sunday off with friends and family. He barely noticed when three came but thankfully Damian was there to remind him. The sweets and sugar had made the pair of them jittery as time went on. Time bombs that they were he had them running in the fields for the rest of the day.

"Can we go to the farm?" Damian more demanded than asked.

Dick seemed eager to go too "Dami says Clark won't mind."

"Fine," Anything that had them co-operating was good.

Let loose on the farm Mr Kent took them into the barn to milk the cow as Clark pulled him over for an interrogation "Have you seen Lana? She wasn't at work and Lex hasn't seen her either."

"Lex has been nursing his head most of the morning, I doubt he can see anything but his walls right now. But no, I haven't. It's nothing to worry about though is it? Surely she's bunked off once or twice?" Clark's face said it all.

"It doesn't help that she has a knack for trouble," He added to the mix.

Bruce thought about it "If she doesn't turn up by seven then we'll go look," Clark nodded.

It turned out that they didn't need to go looking. Lana called Clark and apologised for causing him so much worry. Promising to see him tomorrow she hung up.

Worry gone, Clark was more engaged with entertaining the boys. He had them suited up and riding horses which Dick loved. He told Clark eagerly about all the animals they had in the circus, including a rather large elephant he liked to ride.

"You'll have to show me some of your moves one time," Clark praised.

Dick took it as inspiration and turned eagerly to Bruce "Can I?"

"Of course," he agreed. Dick didn't deserve to spend these days sad. Watching him earlier sinking lower and lower in his seat while Bruce worked was awful. If something like a show would keep him happy and occupied he couldn't see the harm. "Why don't you ask Damian if he wants to do it with you."

Dick pulled a face "Well... It's not like I don't want him to. It's just, I don't think he has the moves or skill to keep up."

Damian having heard every word took up that challenge and turned to Bruce "Tell him I'll outshine him any day."

"He says he'll give it a go," Clark muffled his laugh. Turning to him Bruce raised an eyebrow "Seriously, how much Arabic do you know?"

He tapped his head "Eidetic memory."

Bruce tapped his own "Same." It answered some of his questions at least.

He could see the interest in riding wane in the boys eyes. The challenge of putting a show on for Clark took over and he could see Damian sizing Dick up whilst the other one tried to think about an easy routine for Damian to learn. Things weren't going to be pleasant the next couple of days.

Back at the manor Dick asked politely to use Lex's gym whilst Damian took off at a run for it. Lex didn't even ask what they needed it for and went back to sulking in his study. Lionel had left a lasting impression once again. His ghost still haunting Lex even though he'd left early this morning. With no notion as to how to lift this sulk Bruce turned to an old favourite of his and annoyed Lex until he ranted his problems away.

By bed he was so tired from shouting he collapsed in much the same fashion he did the night before. Dick and Damian on the other hand were sprouting bruises and cuts spanning the contours of their bodies. Dick looked delighted, even as Bruce applied the disinfectant.

"... and that flip. Where did you learn those moves?" Damian was preening in the corner. His plaster covered arms set firmly across his chest as Dick praised him again and again.

"We learnt them travelling. Damian and I have been studying martial arts for years," He explained.

"Cool." He squirmed happily on the toilet seat "This means we can try for one of the more advanced routines I know. There's going to be flips and rolls and..." Bruce cast a pleased look at his son. It seems that, even if Damian was doing it to spite him, he was trying to be civil with him.

The boys begged and dragged their feet as Bruce took them to work. Lex had an important meeting with a client and couldn't look after them so with much bribery and the promise that, if it was quiet, they could move some of the chairs away and do some handstands they were off. It was quiet for most of the morning and since he had promised to work a double shift to take Friday and Saturday off he set up their little area in the corner so they wouldn't complain as much. Those who were in the Talon enjoyed watching them contort and stand on various appendages. He got many compliments for having such talented children and even more tips because talented children were still hungry children.

Lana came in at four and nodded towards them "That's Dick then?" Bruce nodded knowing that Clark had told Lana about him.

"Cute isn't he," Dick smiled at his fans and took a little bow.

"They both are," She moved to take someone's order.

"So," He served the next person "Is everything alright?"

"Alright?"

"You went missing yesterday. I was worried I'd have to stay on for another double," He played lightly.

She cringed "Yeah, sorry about that. I was with my friend. She's new in town and the time just got away with us. When I realised my shift was half over it was better to just call in than turn up."

"She sounds interesting," Lana rolled her eyes.

"She is. She actually had a lot of good advice. See there's this... can I tell you about this?" Bruce looked to their customers. Most of them were occupied at the moment.

"Sure," He leant in to hear.

She took a breath "I'm thinking about my relationship a lot these days and some of the things she said helped me realise that Clark and I, maybe, aren't meant to be," Bruce was both shocked and intrigued.

"He loves you," Bruce tried.

"I know and I love him. But we haven't..." She made subtle hand gestures "I mean, we've really only done it once and that was ages ago now. I thought it was me, maybe I did something wrong but my friend said I hadn't. That it was all Clark and that if he doesn't want to then maybe he's lost interest," She took a breath "I'm sorry I'm loading this all on you and-"

"No, no, it's fine," He hurried "Please, if you need someone to vent to then do it."

"Alright," She relented.

"So you think Clark's lost interest? Maybe there's something else at work," He prompted.

"That's what I thought," She started again "But then I realised that there's always something at work and I'm not involved with it. I'm his girlfriend, surely I should be," Bruce nodded his support.

"But surely this stuff can be worked through. If it's enough to make you question your relationship then I have to ask, is there someone else?" He had a feeling he knew the answer.

She turned red and a bit affronted as she adamantly said "No," then stopped and added "Maybe."

"Is it Lex?" She tilted her head in an almost nod. "Wow."

"Don't tell Clark," She begged.

"I won't," He promised. Thinking of something to help the conversation he asked "So what did your friend suggest you do?"

"She said follow my heart. It will never lead me astray," a dreamy look overcame her "She's really insightful like that. As soon as she said it I thought..."

"You thought of Lex," he guessed. She nodded "Which is why you're having a dilemma."

"It's just, Clark's been my focus for years and I thought I loved him. But then, I thought I loved Witney too," Bruce served their next customer to give her some space "What do you think I should do?"

He hopped on the counter and thought "Do you have any candles at home?" She nodded "When I'm conflicted I meditate. Candles help but the exercise is to focus on one thing then gradually let the outside world filter through. Sort your thoughts out. I don't think you should contemplate breaking up with Clark until you're certain what you feel for Lex isn't just a crush."

She smiled slightly "That's funny, my friend suggested the same thing."

"Then she's very wise," He complimented.

The boy's sugar rush wore off at seven and by eight they were crashed out in their corner. Learning to carry two boys without waking them was a challenge but he rose to the occasion and had them cuddled close as Lana locked up.

"I'll see you tomorrow," She moved a stray lock of hair out of Dick's face.

"Do you need someone to take you home. I can have Lex send a car?" He offered.

She shook her head "My friend's picking me up. Thanks for the offer though."

He waited with her just in case and almost dropped the boys when a sleek Lamborghini pulled up. Lana hopped in and waved her goodbye as Bruce stood frozen to the curb. Talia blew a kiss from the drivers seat and pulled away leaving Bruce wondering if he'd just let Lana walk into her own murder.


	7. Chapter 7

Dumping the kids at Lex's he sprinted to the farm. But something stopped him halfway. If he alerted Clark that Lana was with Talia then he might make matters worse. Clark was tough but when it came to matters of the heart something told him that Clark wouldn't hesitate to give up. He needed Clark available and on his side in this war. So, for now, Clark was out.

Turning back to Luther manor he contemplated going after Talia himself. But then she was probably expecting that. So instead Bruce headed inside and put the boys to bed. Talia wanted Lana alive otherwise she would have been dead yesterday. Either today had been a ploy to draw out Clark or something else was at work.

Lex agreed to look after the boys the next day so Bruce was at he Talon early for his afternoon shift. He breathed a sigh of relief when Lana showed up minutes later. Talia trailed after her and took a seat at the counter. Smirk firmly in place they carried on their conversation without acknowledging his existence.

"I'm telling you if there's one thing you need to do its have a plan. Otherwise you'll end up lost and allowing _him_ to have the advantage," Lana guilelessly nodded along to Talia's advice.

"So I break up with Clark and tell Lex about my feelings," she decided.

Talia sent a frustrated look his way briefly but turned back with a supportive smile for Lana "Something more elaborate than that. After all, what if you loose your nerve? What if Clark cries? Or Lex rejects you, these things need to be thought and planned around."

Lana scrubbed her face "You're right. Of course your right. I'll give it some more thought," she took Talia's order and left her sitting prim as she made it.

Bruce sidled over and held his hand out expectantly "Dagger please."

Talia smirked and handed the one up her sleeve over "You're welcome to do a full body search," Bruce rolled his eyes and stowed the knife in his pocket. "I don't suppose you know what a girls night out entails do you? Lana invited me to one tonight and I'm at a loss as to what I've gotten myself into."

"I'm afraid not," Lana came back with her drink.

She turned to Bruce as if surprised he was there "Oh Bruce this is my friend. I told you about her yesterday. Talia this is Bruce, he's the one who suggested meditation as well. Funny how alike you two think," she sent a pointed look his way and Bruce had a vague realisation that Lana was setting him up.

Playing along anyway he held his hand out and let Talia shake it. They shared an amused smile when Lana left them to it to take someone's order a couple of tables away.

"Amusing how a complete stranger can see our connection beloved," He leaned across the counter in a show of interest.

"Indeed. So back to our earlier conversation, girls night did you say? And what exactly do you entail to happen tonight," she caught his meaning and scoffed.

"We both know if I wished her dead she would be. No," she turned and watched Lana move across the tables slowly so as to give them time to talk "Tonight I will dine and party like the rest of her frivolous friends."

"Just a heads up, I may not know what girls do at a girls night but their idea of a party is much different than yours," he would have loved to see Talia try and blend in with a bunch of teenagers.

Lana strolled back over with a pleased look on her face "We all getting along here?"

Talia nodded "Definitely," she leered slightly "Bruce even invited me to dine with him tomorrow."

Sneaky "Like I said, a pretty girl like you shouldn't ever eat alone."

Talia rose and handed her empty cup over to Bruce. Pointedly letting their hands linger as she said her goodbyes "Remember what I said," was her parting comment to both of them.

Lana turned on him with a satisfied look on her face "Am I a genius or what? I knew the moment I met her you two would make a good match."

"You're a genius," he praised while his mind planned their evening tomorrow. "But what did she mean about what she said? Are you really breaking up with Clark?"

She nodded "I did like you said and came to one conclusion no matter what. I have to break up with him. It's not fair if I don't."

She set the date for that night before she went out with Talia. Bruce considered going around to the farm and apologising but he had something else to do when he got back. Namely separating Damian and Dick from each other. Damian was one move away from breaking Dick's leg when he grabbed him. Dick sprang back on his hands and shouted insults from behind Lex. The man had been trying to break them up for ages before Bruce came in.

"What is going on?" he demanded.

Damian writhed and kicked in his arms but still defended his actions "That thing said I was inadequate! He refused to let me lead a move despite the fact I did it better than him and then he called me stupid!"

"Dick?"

"I said we had to do it together and he didn't like it," Dick panted "Then he called me a.. Well I don't know what it means but I knew it wasn't nice. You're never nice to me!"

Both of them were tearing up as Bruce pulled them in close "This is easily solved. Damian, apologise for calling him whatever," the boy tried to pull away "Damian!" he mumbled an apology "Dick do the same," he didn't seem too happy about that either. "Now both of you tell me what move this is and we can sort this out."

It took a while for the sniffles to die down enough for them to tell him "Damian, Dick's right it'll look better if you do it together. And I'm not just saying that, come on" thinking quickly he pulled both boys to Lex's study.

The man tensed as they entered having retreated as soon as he could and let Bruce take the chair to pour himself a drink. Searching he pulled up three videos of the move they were attempting and showed them why it was better to do it together.

"Told you," he sent a pointed look Dicks way to not rub it in.

"What Dick's trying to say is that he knows about these things because he grew up having to make routines. I taught you to do things solo but in performing it's the best aesthetics and not the moves itself that puts the show on," Damian climbed on his knee to search other things they had no doubt been doing that day "You're going to have to trust Dick on this."

"Fine," he mumbled and practically dismissed Bruce in favour of youtube.

He joined Lex on the couch, keeping one eye on the new made allies. "I am never having kids," Lex moaned into his drink.

"They're not that bad," Lex just shook his head and turned to drowning his mental scarring.

Lana was still alive the next day if a bit hungover. The rest of her friends were in much the same state as they trailed in for a hangover cure. Chloe and a mouthy girl named Lois clutched their drinks for dear life as they tried to remember the night before. Bruce paid them no mind until Talia walked in with sunglasses firmly in place, looking like they weren't coming off any time soon. Bruce had to excuse himself for a laugh in the store room before he went back out.

He kept an eye on her for the rest of his shift until it was time to take her to eat. She actually wobbled and held onto him as he led her to her car.

"Not one word," she warned.

"You can handle wine more potent than American yet here you are. I'm sorry if I need a couple of minutes to get my head around it," he laughed.

Taking her to one of Smallville's only restaurants he behaved as the perfect gentleman throughout their meal. So did she he reflected as she asked after their son. He forgot how much he missed her as they talked about little things and caught up on the parts they missed as she chased after him all these years.

The desert came with Talia relinquishing control "Ask what you want. I can see your mind dissecting me so you may as well put it at ease."

"Why did you tell Lana to break up with Clark?" she gave nothing away and composed herself before answering.

"I thought I would try something new. My old tactics have taught me that violence will only push you away from me. So, I saw an opportunity when you started hanging around with that farm boy. Don't deny it beloved, your eyes wander when he's near. And you know my stance on him. My plan had been to seduce her with a hired man but when I watched... it seemed to me she only needed a friend. One who was able to persuade her in the direction of another man."

"So you free Clark up. Now what?" She eyed him expectantly.

"You make your move. I knew you wouldn't whilst he was still attached. One thing I realised when you had no idea Rahim was married was that you went for those that were free. Well, now Clark is," She let out as if it was her great gift to him.

"You're actually going to let me take someone, who's not you, to bed?" The idea seemed ludicrous.

"Like I said, you want him. And if you getting him, and both of you agreeing to come home, then I don't see why I should be so upset," He sighed in frustration.

"You don't get it Talia. You've never gotten it. You crossed a line all those years ago and because of that I am never going to come back to you. I love you, I always will but we can't be together. If you can't grasp that then at least think of what this is doing to Damian. You need to let us go," He knew none of his words were sinking in.

"You know I can't do that. As long as you still say you love me I can't," She paid her half of the meal "Make your move on Clark soon or I'll make it for you," She walked out without a goodbye.

With no threat of Talia attacking in the middle of the night Lex gave them their old room back. Another bed put in meant that Damian and Dick didn't need to share anymore but as three dawned he felt someone small slide into bed next to him. As morning came he was kicked awake by Damian jumping out of bed and elbowed as Dick followed suit. No lie in for him that morning he took them both down to Lex's gym and let them run wild until breakfast.

He slid into a handstand as the boys ran around the room and tried to use his exercise as a guise for being awake. Slipping into meditation was the closest thing he could get to sleep as he listened to little footsteps and hands slapping on tiled floors. He didn't know how long he was out and only woke as a little finger poked his chest.

One eye open he gazed into Dick's face level with his own. "You can hold a handstand for a long time," he commented.

"What's wrong?" Dick pointed behind him.

"Clark's here. He wants a word," He righted himself as Bruce did and followed him over to where Clark was standing in the doorway.

Eyes bloodshot but otherwise he looked fine as he greeted Bruce "I was wondering if you wanted me to take them off your hands today," Dick squealed and went to get Damian.

"That's nice of you. Are you sure though?" He couldn't tell how bad Clark was taking his breakup.

"Yeah, I have the day off and Pa's been missing Damian around," Bruce sent him a unconvinced look "He has. He complains but he's missed having kids running around the farm. I promise you'll get them back exactly as they are now."

"Doubtful," He muttered "Alright." There was no point in saying no anyway. Damian and Dick had scampered off to get changed as soon as Dick went off. "They've been fighting so separate them if things get too heated."

"I know how to look after kids," Bruce rolled his eyes.

"You know how to look after normal kids. Damian's been polite when he goes to yours. Dick added to the mix you might see why he has so many bruises," Damian panted next to Bruce and practically vibrated next to him. "Be good," He warned. Damian beamed and took hold of Clark's hand to pull him out. Dick turned up and took his other hand to drag him off.

He went to get changed and passed Lex dragging himself out of his bedroom "I'm off to Metropolis for a meeting," He informed "Want me to get you anything?"

Bruce stopped "Actually yeah. Do you know any shops that sell gymnastic gear? Leotards and the like?" Lex nodded "Could you get two in Dick and Damian's size. Preferably matching?"

"Don't say I never do anything for you," Lex muttered but agreed.

Naturally Lana wanted to know what had happened on his date with Talia. He told her some half lie while trying to forget it had ever happened in the first place. Right now, his mind was back on Clark. Talia wanted him to go for him, the extraordinary being that he is, and have him join them. Like before Bruce was tempted, extremely tempted. He knew he couldn't though, even to seduce Clark would be admitting to Talia that he was on-board with her scheme.

"I'm thinking of coming round tonight," Lana interrupted his thoughts.

"Huh?" She repeated her sentence. "Lex is out of town. I don't know when he'll be back," her face fell and she said she would come around the next day instead.

His shift ended he made his way to the Kent farm. The boys were running wildly around while Mr Kent watched fondly from the porch, Clark seemed to be right about him missing having kids on the farm. Mrs Kent was standing talking to Clark a ways off and waved at him as he was tackled by his kids.

"Mr Kent let us ride the tractor!" Damian gushed.

"Bruce! Mr Kent let us drive the tractor!" Dick repeated.

"Run anything over?" Damian nodded as Dick shook his head aghast. "Good. So do you want to stay here for a while or go back? Lex is out of town so it'll just be us."

"Can we stay here?" Damian asked already looking eagerly at the barn.

"I'd rather stay," Dick admitted.

"Wait here then," He walked up to Mr Kent and asked if they could stay a while longer. He griped slightly but agreed that they could stay since they'd been so good.

"They've been angels," Mrs Kent agreed walking up to them. He heard Damian call Dick a mean name and couldn't help but wonder what they would think if there wasn't a language barrier.

Clark was the only other one who had some inkling as to what Damian was saying yet still he laughed instead of reprimanding him for his behaviour.

Damian swore and cursed as bad as Bruce had ever heard him and rushed over to where he was clutching onto his hand. Thinking the worst he had to pry Damian's hand open only to discover nothing there.

"Dami what's wrong?" The boy wailed and clutched his hand to his chest.

"He has a splinter," Clark told him and tried to get Damian to open his hand again.

"Ew!" He heard Dick mutter.

He carried Damian into the house as Mrs Kent went to fetch the tweezers "You can break your legs, fingers, toes and hands more times than I can count but as soon as you get so much as a paper cut..."

"It's alright Damian. I used to get tonnes at the circus. All you need to do is yank it out," Dick made a horrific show of pulling a giant splinter out which had Damian crying harder.

As soon as the tweezers came the cries turned to threats and curses "Fuck off," He spat and turned away from Bruce.

He turned to Clark "I swear I didn't teach him those words," He handed the tweezers over and took to pinning Damian down long enough to get it out.

Mrs Kent comforted the traumatized boy with ice cream and fed Dick mountains of sweets as well as Bruce nursed his new bruise on the porch.

"Splinters hurt," Clark opened with and handed him his own bowl of ice cream.

"So does Damian. Little drama queen," He hissed and pressed the cool spoon to his arm. He looked Clark over again. The circles under his eyes were just visible "How are you holding up?" At Clark's confused look he explained "Lana told me."

"Right you two work together," He sighed "I honestly thought we were going to be forever."

"Things don't always turn out like you think," He knew from experience.

"Don't suppose you have any advice?" As the best friend of the person Lana was in love with and the reason why she decided to break up with Clark in the first place he could only think of Clark getting as far away from Bruce as possible.

"Not really. When I broke up with Talia I was already past being upset. What was more important was manning up and being a father. But I guess if Lana doesn't see what a great guy you are then maybe you two just weren't meant to be," Clark nodded.

"You sound a bit like Ma. She said something similar when I told her," Mrs Kent was a wise woman. She probably had tonnes of advice similar to that to say.

"Well she's right. Right now, I think you probably need something to distract you. So instead of moping why don't you focus on becoming the best babysitter possible," It was half a joke and half serious. He really did need someone to watch them sometimes.

Clark laughed "They are seriously good kids. You are so lucky to have them. Just so you know, Damian actually asked Dick for help today. They teamed up to tackle the beams in the barn, nearly gave my dad another heart attack but it was so cute seeing them getting along. You shouldn't worry about them so much."

"I don't," He smiled at the image "I know he doesn't think much of Dick right now but if something happened I know he'd do his best to look after Dick. He's family now."

A shout and Dick came sprinting out with Damian hot on his heels. They vaulted over Clark's fences in some kind of game "I think Ma overfed them."

"They're not gonna sleep tonight," Bruce agreed.

They stayed at the farm until it got dark. The humid air tiring the boys out to letting Clark teach them astronomy. It wasn't long after that when Damian's hand went lax and Dick curled into a ball next to Clark. Accepting the offer of a ride back the boys snored the whole way there and to their room. Clark helped get them changed and into bed and Bruce made Lex say hello despite his insistence that he needed to talk with Bruce.

Delaying Lex's talk he walked Clark out. "I'll take them off your hands again soon," He promised.

"It's fine. Like your Pa, Lex complains but he secretly loves them," Deep, deep down. Clark hopped into his truck and let Bruce lean on the door. He knew he shouldn't but something in him couldn't resist leaning forward and planting a chaste kiss on Clark. His lips were soft and slack from probably shock and Bruce only ran over them shortly before pulling away. "Just so you know what's available to you," He murmured "After all, you're fair game now."

Instead of Clark running like last time he leaned back with a chuckle and unless Bruce was more tired than he thought Clark actually ran his eyes over Bruce's form. "I'll see you," He waved and rolled down the drive.

Lex was pacing when he got in and shoved a newspaper into his hands. The headlines were about a part of Wayne Enterprises Bankruptcy and how they'd been bought out. "I take it this is your work?"

"Depends," He checked Lex's computer and found three emails from Alfred about his new building "Yep, this is my work."


	8. Chapter 8

Lex refused to talk to him the rest of the night. The headlines had read that an anonymous buyer had taken the building off Wayne Enterprises hands. Bruce saw it as taking back what was rightfully his and defended his actions by saying he would have scrapped half the building when he took over anyway. Lex just called him a terrorist and left him to it.

"What's a terrorist?" Dick asked at the breakfast table. Bruce explained as best he could and Dick nodded along to show he was understanding. When he was done there were no more questions just a change in conversation "I think we'll be ready by tomorrow."

"Ready for what?" Bruce inquired.

"The show," He said slowly as if Bruce was hard of hearing.

"Ah right. Where were you thinking of having it? If you need any equipment then you're gonna have to use Lex's gym," Dick shook his head and informed him there was no equipment needed.

With a pointed sentence that it "Would be ideal to have it at the farm," Bruce was spending most of his afternoon asking the Kents if they minded two boys doing dangerous stunts for their own amusement in their front yard. Really Bruce knew they were just having it at the farm so they could play with the animals afterwards. He didn't know what they would do when they moved to Gotham. He'd have to get them a puppy or something along those lines to keep them happy. Alfred would be opposed no doubt.

The next day morning he set up chairs and laid out a table for snacks Mrs Kent was helpfully providing. Shooting glares at Lex for not helping every now and then made him feel better about labouring away.

"Too weak," He excused but had the strength to present Bruce with three wrapped packages.

He herded the boys into Clark's barn to get ready handing them their outfits. Damian was putting his on just as Dick finished tearing the wrappings from his own. Two crimson costumes with gold lining. Unwrapping his own he saw the same design as Dick and Damian's but in his size. Feeling the material he noticed its rich quality. This wasn't something one would buy in an ordinary shop. He left them to change and come out.

Taking the seat next to Lex he muttered "Nice costumes," his friend smirked.

"Thanks." They tottered out of the barn with Dick pulling Damian over and into position. "Wait a minute, I didn't buy those."

"I thought not," Talia must have switched them when Lex wasn't looking. No one else would have the knowledge or money to buy those costumes "We'll sort it out later."

For the next fifteen minutes the Kents were dazzled by flips and handstands performed in perfect synchronisation. Damian seemed to have gotten over his need to lead the performance and happily looked to Dick for cues. As they took their bows Bruce joined the Kents in their round of applause. Damian skipped over to his expectant praise and let himself be cuddled and coddled with sweets and compliments.

Dick came over to Bruce and Lex "Did you like it?"

"It was amazing," Dick lit up.

"You can do the next one," he allowed and went to join Damian.

"Its cute he looks for your acceptance," Lex noted. Bruce hummed and fingered the last costume left in its package. Seeing what he was doing Lex asked "Do you think she means any harm?"

He shook his head "She's shifted her priorities. Whatever her meaning, I think they're ultimately just gifts."

"Or a suggestion," Lex held the top up to Bruce "You'd look stunning in red," he joked.

Either way he was on guard he rest of their stay at the farm. The boys soon tired of listening to how great they were and carted Clark out for a game of tag. Running manically around the farm he watched red blur as the boys jumped and did fancy moves to escape Clark's grasp.

Returning to Lex's manor with two sleepy boys topped off a great day. He considered phoning Alfred once he put the boys to bed but figured if there were any complications Alfred would phone himself.

"What do we say to Lex for the costumes," he suggested quietly.

Rubbing their eyes Dick hugged Lex around the middle as Damian chimed "Thank you uncle Lex,' in English. Bruce could see Lex's heart melting and knew the man wasn't as fully against kids as he proclaimed.

He next morning Talia's gift caught his eye. He had the morning off and was in the mood for trying some of those moves Dick had taught Damian. Figuring they wouldn't be worn otherwise he made it his workout clothes. At least the pants, the shirt had too many sequences for his tastes.

Half an hour and he'd successfully jumped off the wall in a double flip. Trying for a triple seemed impossible but a little figure clad in similar red proved him wrong.

"You had yours on," Dick defended as he misinterpreted Bruce's astonished look.

"How did you do that?" Dick lit up and did it another three times effortlessly. "It's just taken me half an hour to do two and even that was hard," he whined as Dick did another.

"It's all about momentum," the boy crowed.

He tried to teach Bruce the rest of the morning with little success. Damian just took one look at them and did the move a bit less flawlessly but still complete to a groaning Bruce. He would have been late for work had Lex not intervened and told him to get lost.

He didn't notice he was shirtless and clad in crimson gymnastic pants until he put his apron on. Turning to Lana he asked "Do you think people will just assume it's a tank?"

She laughed "So long as you don't turn around."

He tried to do just that as students started filing in. It hardly mattered either way if they thought he had a thin shirt on. Ten minutes and his tip jar was full and he'd had to pick up more 'dropped' cups than ever. Lana just watched with an amused leer on her face as more girls ignored her in favour of waiting for Bruce to get back to the tills.

"Can I help you?" Clark chuckled and placed his order. "You're lucky, Lana just went for her break."

Clark cringed slightly "I guess. But we're gonna have to move past it somehow. Much as I'd like to ignore her she's friends with Chloe so..."

"Could be worse," he smiled kindly at another girl leaving her number along with a tip in his jar "Your ex could be walking through that door right now already infiltrating and planning your future," at Clark's confused look Bruce nodded behind him to where Talia, Chloe and Lois walked in.

Spotting the odd one out he swivelled back to Bruce "Wow. That's- she's beautiful." he cast another look back.

"I know," she spotted his undressed state immediately and sent a coy look over. She joined the queue that was building up so Bruce cut their talk short and sent him after his blonde friend.

Talia looked like a cat that had just killed an annoying bird. Satisfied and superior to those around her "Keep it," she crowed casting a look over the counter at him. He put the change from her $100 in hip tip jar. "I take it you like my gifts. You always did look good in red, silk or blood, and I know Damian suits it too."

"Dick said it was satisfactory but he wouldn't use it for another performance. Something about the material being too thin," she hummed in thought.

"The boy's right I suppose. But I did just get it to admire you in," he tried to send her away by gesturing to the girls behind her "I'm not the only one who is either," she left and joined Chloe.

Bruce kept one eye on her as she introduced herself to Clark. The way things were going Clark hadn't outed her immediately. Lana came back and noticed Clark's arrival. She tried to lighten the mood by pointing out Talia's presence and making hints about Bruce asking her out again. It became more and more difficult to look on their table as the Talon grew busy. By the end of his shift he had over three hundred in tips. Clark had lingered with the girls, no doubt to keep an eye on the woman who had ordered his own parents execution. An offer to walk Bruce home and they separated to Metropolis and Luther manor.

"Lois said you looked like a fallen angel with those wings," Bruce snorted and fingered his tattoo lightly.

"I hope you corrected her," Clark grinned then frowned subtly.

"Talia did actually. She said you were more like a demon masquerading as an angel. Lois laughed hard at that," he could guess why but from the confusion Clark was sprouting he wondered how innocent Clark was. "She seems... Blunt."

Bruce hummed "I don't think anyone's ever described her as blunt before."

"She is though. There's just something blatantly dangerous about her and she neither denies or tries to hide it," Bruce nodded. Talia didn't like disguises. When she went out for her father she preferred to keep to the shadows or choose a persona that accorded to her personality. She was never meek. "I can see why you'd like her."

He paused "What makes you come to that conclusion?"

Clark blushed slightly "Well you spent most of your life travelling. From those moves the first time I saw you I figured that you weren't just sightseeing. Someone who outwardly seeks danger would undoubtedly be attracted to a woman like Talia." Or someone like Clark. He was just, if not more, dangerous than Talia. Bruce was starting to see the truth in Clark's analysis. "It makes me wonder why you still walk away."

Bruce shrugged "I realised she was lacking a cock."

Clark snorted but shook his head "No, it's not that. You still love her, something else happened. If it hadn't then you would be back with her by now. You told me she let you stray now and then so, to me, it doesn't seem to be a matter of anatomy."

"You're very observant. Even Lex hasn't came to that conclusion. Not out loud anyway," he added.

Clark scuffed the ground as they walked "I've been told I'm a good listener," he offered. Eyes curious to hear about Bruce's past.

Bruce eyed him carefully "Maybe some other time." all this talk of confessing had Bruce thinking about Clark's situation. "Clark, there's something I have to tell you."

He looked on "If it's about your crush on me, I know," he joked.

Bruce turned seriously on him "Lana told me she was going to break up with you. She told me that she didn't like you lying to her and that she thought there was no relationship between you if you continued to leave her out of the loop."

Clark nodded "That's what she said the other day."

"Did she tell you anything else?" he shook his head "Well that was only part of the reason she wanted to break up with you. Don't get mad," he warned "She wanted to break up with you to be with Lex. It wasn't his fault though. He has no idea about Lana's feelings or even that you've broken up. Don't blame him."

His confession had Clark stopping a while. He leant against the fence holding a farmer's field and Bruce could see him trying to sort his mind out.

"What's he going to do?" Bruce sighed and joined him.

"He feels the same," he laid out "He wouldn't dare act on it. Not without your permission. Lex has little to no friends and those he does have he values higher than any girl. So don't blame him."

Clark ran his hand through his hair and leaned even more over the fence "I can't believe this is happening."

"Believe it," he insisted "Don't lose a friend over it though."

"Everything's so messed up," Clark sighed. "Thank you for telling me."

"I would have earlier but you seemed too upset," Clark nodded.

"And now?"

Bruce shrugged "You're still upset but Lex will be asking for your permission soon. I thought it best you know."

Clark narrowed his eyes "How soon?"

Bruce cringed again "Lana seems rather eager." He felt bad for Clark. Lana was already making plans to move on just days after her previous relationship. Clark was going to have to adapt to the new situation quickly.

"What would Lex do if I said no?"

"Honestly? He'd leave her alone. But you have to think of it this way. You like Lana," Clark nodded "If you say no and prevent her from pursuing what she thinks will make her happy then she'll never forgive you. You'll end up the bad guy instead of the victim."

"Guess I have to say yes then," he lifted off the fence and started walking. Bruce only hesitated a second before joining him. Clark turned to him a ways down the path "'I'll end up the bad guy' is that what happened between you and Talia?"

Bruce smirked "No but nice guess."

They came to the crossroad that would lead him to Lex's manor. Bruce waved his goodbye to a startled Clark "What, no kiss?"

Bruce smirked again and called back "You're kissing me next time."

Lex was passed out with paint on his face when Bruce found him. The culprits were colouring in the last of their masterpiece on the dining table. He shuddered at the mess and went to draw what would be one of the worst experiences of his life.

Bath ready he secured Damian upside down and grabbed Dick's arm to keep him from running. They went quietly until spotting the bath. Dick plodded in with no bother as Damian struggled and hissed to be let go.

"It's unsanitary," he argued and got Bruce in a rather uncomfortable place.

"You take a shower with no argument, a bath's no different. Now in," paint got smudged everywhere on his face and clothes as he finally forced the boy into the water.

What should have been a simple shampooing turned into a water fight as Dick tried to help. The water turned a muddy brown as sticky hands were cleaned. Unfortunately it ended up cascaded on the walls and stained the bath once Damian finally escaped. Bruce helped dry Dick's tears as he removed soapy brown water from the boys eyes and was glad at least one of them was partially clean.

Damian proved to be more difficult when he refused to put his pyjamas on. Bruce gave up after a minute of arguing and took a shower. Damian was still naked as he got out so he let him win and didn't press the issue. He sent them both to bed with the promise they'd be asleep when he came back in. Dick would be but Damian was having a rebellious night and would probably try to out sleep him again.

He took a picture of Lex before waking him. Purposefully not pointing out the paint on his face in a game with himself to see how long it would take him.

"I think I might spend the day at the Talon tomorrow. I need to check on the profits," He suspected it was Dick that had drew the love heart on Lex's chin.

"Liar, you just want another day away from them two," Lex yawned making the whiskers on his cheeks stretch with it.

"I had to buy them paints to calm them down. I swear, children are like gremlins, never feed them after six," Bruce laughed partially at Lex's joke and partially because one, or both, had drawn a rainbow on the top of his head.

"At least you didn't have to bathe them. Damian's having another 'no' day," Lex was venturing near the window. Bruce held his breath as he stared out at the scenery.

'I figured as much when he said no to pretty much everything I suggest- oh my god!" he couldn't help descending into laughter after that. Making a note to praise the boys creativity in the morning he tried to stop his stomach aching with each breath he took. "One of them has tried to draw hair!" he moaned showing Bruce the brown stripes at the back. He stared shocked at Bruce "Dear God no. Please tell me you didn't," one look at Bruce's hand had him lunging for the phone.

Lex tried to erase his picture all night and again in the morning. He refused to look after the boys, sticking with his plans to hide in the Talon. Unfortunately that meant that Bruce had to bring them with him to work once again. So really Lex wasn't escaping anything. Damian was more compliant in the morning. Having spent most of the night awake he spent most of the morning napping. Dick played behind the counter and sneaked muffins when he thought Bruce wasn't looking. Lex had tried to keep his distance, preferring to spend the morning with Lana going over the books. Bruce couldn't keep the smile off his face when he realised Lex had missed the faint smudge of a rainbow on top of his head.

His shift passed quickly since he was only in the morning. The rest of the day he spent with the boys. Taking them out to get ice cream then spending the whole afternoon playing hide and seek in Lex's manor. It was more fun when they all realised they could hide in odd places. Bruce found Damian curled up on top of Lex's wardrobe and Dick hiding in one of his vents as a warm up and once Damian took to playing ninja on the rooftop they switched games to something more fun than hiding from each other.

As Lex came back he shut himself off in his study. The locking sound told Bruce he probably shouldn't disturb him for a while. No doubt Lana had taken advantage of her alone time with him and made her move. Bruce didn't know whether he should ignore Lex's clear personal boundary line or invade it.

He chose the latter as Dick tugged on his sleeve. "This was on your bed," He handed the envelope to Bruce.

Taking Dick's hand he led him after Damian into the dining area for some craft time. No paints were allowed as Bruce showed them how to make origami swans then googled how to do more things with paper. They had assembled an army of planes and swans at the end of three hours. Coloured brightly in felt tips and marked clearly as to who they belonged to the three of them let loose the paper abominations back into the wild to see who's would fly the farthest. He thanked God the maid was below and had assented to measure as well as pick up their fallen creations, otherwise he would've been left to clean it up himself.

"What was in that envelope?" Damian asked "It looked like it was from mother."

"What did Damian say?" He was seriously going to have to teach one or the other another language.

"He's asking what was in the envelope I got," Maybe French, that was easy to learn.

"What was in it?" Spanish maybe. Something that wouldn't require Dick having to learn a new writing pattern.

"I haven't opened it yet," That had the two boys begging to open it themselves "No," He took the brown envelope and held it high "It's addressed to me and I'll open it later. If there's something good in it I'll tell you."

Damian peered curiously at the writing "And if it isn't?"

"I'll still tell you," He promised and the matter was dropped.

He didn't open it until the boys had passed out outside Lex's study. The three of them had gotten worried and tried to coax (annoy) him out. Lifting out the contents he was a bit disappointed to note there was only two sheets. One of them being a note in Talia's crisp handwriting saying _'If your interested. there's a video to go along with this.'_

Not liking where this was heading he looked at the photo. Clark, stretched out on his couch in the barn. Shirt pulled up and pants around his thighs his head was tossed back and hand closed around his erection. The lighting wasn't good since it was dark but there was enough detail to make him uncomfortable to be looking at this with the boys around.

What really caught his attention was the glow. A faint red that was still distinguishable in the dark and coming from Clark's eyes. It seemed to encompass them, leaving nothing black in its wake. It could have been a fault of the camera but usually the red only caught the pupil. Not all around like this. Intrigued, Bruce made a note to approach Clark about it the next day. Or better yet Chloe.

Lana had said she knew more of what was going on in Smallville than the average person. Perhaps she had already unravelled Clark's secret. A secret which, until now, Bruce had been neglecting to find out.


	9. Chapter 9

Bruce had been meaning to go on the hunt for Talia as soon as his shift was done. The problem was getting to the Talon in the first place. Having spent the previous night sitting outside of Lex's rooms the boys were refusing to wake up. He ended up carrying the pair to breakfast and thrusting anything at hand down their throats. Breakfast didn't work to wake them so he had to carry them once again to their room and get Dick changed. Damian was a lost cause as soon as he threatened to go nude, Bruce knew he would and didn't have the time to argue with his son so let him stay in his pyjama's as they set off for the Talon.

It was particularly hot and so far Dick had sent Damian seven dirty looks, jealous that he was cool while Dick was bundled into a jacket. He ended up inciting more dirty looks when the trial to get shoes on their little feet went down hill and he had to carry them to the Talon barefoot. Promising with every sweaty step he took that he was turning the hose on them when they got back.

He had barely got them halfway when his arms tired enough for him to put the boys down. He felt weary and panted as his breath came short. Waving the boys concerns off he sat down on the dirt road's fence to regain composure. It had been a while he was this exerted, strange that it should come about from carrying two boys. He hadn't been like this last night or any other time he'd had to carry them.

"Are you alright?" Damian asked. He had his hand raised to Bruce's forehead, his own furrowed in concentration while Dick hovered in the background.

"Fine," He breathed "Get off the road, there'll be glass," He beckoned and pulled them onto the grass.

"You don't look so good," Dick commented.

"I'm probably just tired," He excused as searing pain hit his stomach. He doubled over into the grass trying to empty his breakfast as another pain coursed through him. He waved the boys off when they tried to come near. His arms were feeling heavy and barely lifted to keep them back. The rest of his body soon followed until he lost all control of his limbs.

It was Damian that gave him the answer to his ailment. One whisper of "Poison," and he was blacking out.

He woke in a bed. Not as soft as the one in Lex's manor and it smelled distinctly familiar. His head felt heavy still as he sat up and it took a while before his vision stayed as one. There were posters on the walls of music bands he'd never heard of and actors he vaguely recognised. He gathered he was in Clark's room when he spotted the plaid shirts peaking out from the wardrobe. The man himself walked through the door moments later with a tray of light food and some sheets of paper he set gently down next to Bruce.

"They're from the boys," and indeed they were. Drawings of himself and other things all with 'Get Well Soon' written on top.

"What happened? Why am I here?" Clark frowned.

"I managed to get you to the hospital before anything lasting happened but Lex said you were poisoned," The first person who came to mind was Talia but he quickly disregarded that. She wanted him in her bed not dead. "He said it would be best to move you here. I didn't think it was a good idea. The doctor said you needed to be watched over but Lex was pretty insistent."

"Was he now," Lionel. That was the only person it could have been. Why else would Lex take care to move him from the hospital. "Where are the boys?"

Clark grinned "Ma says it's like we're running a daycare," a squeal came from downstairs. "They've been in sleeping bags for the past three days but haven't complained once."

"They wouldn't," Bruce grinned hearing Jonathan call for Damian.

"Pa almost lost it when Damian was trying to tell him the tractor broke down. He couldn't understand a word and Damian had to mime what had happened in the end," Clark chuckled at the thought.

"So, three days?" He wondered what he'd missed.

Clark nodded "Lex has been here as often as he could which isn't often. He said something about family yesterday and hasn't been back since."

It took some cajoling for Clark to let him out of bed. Even more to convince him he could walk and 'no I don't need help taking a leak Clark' before he was sitting with the boys in front of the Kent's fireplace. It seemed drawing pictures was one of the most popular forms of entertainment the Kents could think up since papers now littered most of their floors.

"This one's _meant_ to be a bird but Dick decided to colour it in," Damian glared at the unsuspecting boy and tried to point out his own work under Dick's demolition.

"I can see it," He promised. He checked Dick was busy before pulling Damian onto his lap. Under the guise of helping him colour he asked "What happened?"

Damian's brow furrowed "You collapsed, eyes dilated and pulse weak. I'm suspecting some kind of belladonna extract, nothing too exotic since there wasn't any strange symptoms. Clark came almost as soon as Dick started screaming and took you to the hospital. He told us to go straight to the farm and we've seen Lex come and go a few times but other than that they aren't telling us anything. Probably think it'll be too scarring," He muttered.

Bruce nodded. It was nothing he hadn't already figured out, apart from Clark being the first to the scene. "How fast was Clark there again?"

"Almost as soon as Dick screamed. He just came running up," Damian's furrow grew "Now that I think about it shouldn't he have been in college?"

"What are guys talking about?" Dick was trying to edge in. Bruce shared a look with Damian and the boy nodded.

"Dami was telling me what happened. I'm very proud of both of you for doing as you were told," he complimented. Dick smiled slightly before launching himself at Bruce. He almost crushed Damian as he clutched onto him.

"I thought you were going to die," Bruce felt wetness seeping through his shirt and pulled Dick in for a proper hug "I don't wanna be alone," he sobbed. Despite scoffing at Dick Bruce could see Damian was a bit upset about what happened as well. Lionel had almost left him fatherless.

"I know and I'm not going anywhere any time soon."

Lex came by when it was dark. He looked panicked but calmed as he spied Bruce lounging in the Kent's kitchen.

Bruce was more than surprised to be pulled into a hug from him "I thought you were dead," he accused "As if the first time wasn't bad enough. What would I tell Alfred," He ranted.

"I'm sorry," He offered. "Thanks for taking care of the medical bill though," Lex just grunted, looking like he wanted to shout more were it not for Damian and Dick watching from the counter. "Speaking of familial relations how's your father? I take it he's still here," Bruce knew he'd guessed right when Lex's face darkened.

"It seems father's not as fond of our relationship as I'd hoped," a sarcastic comment, Lex wasn't completely mad then.

"Shame, I was hoping to ask to move in," That got a smile out of him. "Where did he put it anyway?" Bruce didn't remember taking anything too odd that morning.

"The plates. He must have noted you scraping your food around and laced some of them with it."

His outrage must have shown on his face since Lex asked the boys to get ready for bed. Dick went sensing an argument brewing but Damian stayed put.

"We have no secrets," He argued and Lex didn't look like he was up to translating a fight just then so let him stay.

"He could have poisoned the boys," Bruce started.

"I know."

"They could be dead!" He tried to compose himself. Letting anger take over would only result in him doing something rash.

"I know Bruce. I felt like throwing that in his face but I couldn't. Doing that would just destroy your whole identity here. I take it you still want to remain anonymous?" Bruce nodded as his head cleared.

"What did Lionel do when you confronted him," He changed.

Lex cringed "What he usually does in these situations; blames someone else. He said it could have been food poisoning or one of the cooks were homophobic. Either way he had an answer to everything. There was nothing I could really do but scream at him."

Bruce felt a grin slip his lips "Well if he's still doubting your love for me I bet that performance sold it."

Lex huffed "What are you gonna do?"

Bruce shrugged as a thought came to him "How many people know I've been poisoned?"

"Me, Clark. I told Lana you were sick," Lex shrugged. "Something wrong."

"Maybe," He didn't tell Lex what.

They talked further into the night about their next play. Bruce still needed time to solidify the progress he'd made in his company's takeover before returning to Gotham so really it was a matter of how they were going to rub the fact Bruce was still alive in Lionel's face after an hour. He eventually made his way home when Damian rubbed his tired eyes. Waving goodbye to the Kents in the living room and pointing out a sticker Dick had bumped on his clothes to Clark.

As soon as Lex was gone Mrs Kent was in full mothering mode. He was pushed into one of the chairs and fed more food than he could eat. The kids were warded off from climbing on him with warning stares and instead bothered the other men in the house. They called it a night when ten came and Bruce thanked the Kents for having them over a while.

"It's no trouble," Mrs Kent waved off and hugged the boys goodnight. "Don't stay up too long," She warned Clark.

Bruce gave him a narrowed look "You aren't heading up?"

Clark shook his head "You're staying my room remember. I get to camp with these guys," Dick cheered from where he was setting up his sleeping bag.

"I can't kick you out your own bed," Bruce argued.

"You have for the past three nights," He laughed "It's fine, just go up."

"How about we share," He didn't like the idea of putting the Kents out even more. Even if Clark was a mystery, it didn't excuse his bad manners for taking someone's bed. Clark just arched an eyebrow. Bruce gave him a wounded look "I've just been poisoned. Do you honestly think I have the strength to jump you?"

Clark just smirked "Alright," He said goodnight to the boys and helped Bruce not fall down the stairs as they stumbled into Clark's room. "I warn you I've been told I snore sometimes."

Bruce scoffed "I'm asleep, what does it matter? Besides you can't be any worse than Dick. He's a cuddler. I swear I had him next to Damian one night so he would latch onto him instead. But no, I wake up with a nine year old wound around me and Dami untouched next to me," Clark laughed and helped him into bed.

"Yeah he did that to me too. I jumped when I felt something on my chest. For a moment I thought it was Lana but..." The mood went with that so they both tried to ignore the awkwardness and get comfortable in Clark's narrow bed.

He thought he would be awake for a while with the adjustment of another person of adult proportions in the bed but his mind seemed to still want to sleep since he was nodding off within seconds of hitting the pillow.

He felt better the next time he woke. The sun was streaming in the window at an angle that seemed too long for it to be five in the morning. Bruce groaned in delight at having woken up on his own, no Dick kicking him in the stomach with Damian jumping on his back. No whispered arguments shot over his head then grappling when Dick gave up trying to communicate with him.

Clark was out in the barn when he got downstairs. Mrs Kent was more than happy to keep him busy by having him rest in a chair outside. The boys were trailing along behind Jonathan, both eager to help with everything he suggested.

"He complains but he loves having them around," Martha told him.

"That's what Clark said," he waved at them passing.

"It's true though. Jonathan and I always wanted a big family. Clark was a blessing from the heavens," She looked up as if he really had fell from the sky.

"I know what you mean. The first time I saw Dami... I had to leave so Talia wouldn't see me crying," He remembered Damian's little fists punching the air, already fighting.

"There's no shame in crying," Martha berated "Jonathan did the same with Clark. There were times we thought we couldn't handle him. One in particular but Jonathan came home with our little boy and I could tell straight away that those weren't sad tears. He'd finally accepted that we had him in our lives."

"Clark was adopted?" Martha nodded. It made sense.

"I bet there were times where you felt the same with Damian," She defended "Having him so young you must have still been a teenager."

"Seventeen and stupid," He agreed "I remember Talia telling me she was pregnant. That was a shocker. I actually thought her father would kill me," Martha laughed but she didn't know Ra's. Bruce almost died from fright when the man embraced him instead of killing him. Apparently furthering his line was a good thing. "Then there was her sister. Nyssa was more than pleased," One less thing for her to do "It was rather unnerving."

"They sound delightful," Bruce grinned.

"I say these things about her but there was once that she was my world," Martha laughed along with Bruce as Dick ran away from one of the chickens.

"Don't worry, we've all been there," She patted his leg "At least you've gotten something good from it in any case."

"Yes I suppose I have. Speaking of children, what adoption agency did you use?" Interesting. He didn't know what he said but the shutters went down over Mrs Kent's face "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. It's just I was thinking of making it official with Dick. It would make things easier," Especially when the heat went down from the murder charges in Gotham. They would be calling Dick back soon and asking to place him in an orphanage if Bruce didn't act.

She soon brightened up at the idea of adopting Dick "You don't want to use our agency. They shut down ages ago. But I can ask Mr Luther if he knows anyone," She offered. At his hesitant look she went on "He's not as bad as he seems. He's helped us out a lot since he got here, even if Jonathan refuses to agree with me."

"As generous as that is, I don't think Lionel and I are on the best of terms right now," He declined.

"Well if you ever change your mind..." He nodded his thanks and went back to watching Jonathan trying not to shout at the boys.

All his time at the farm recovering meant that the reason he hadn't wanted to see Clark yet came back to him at an awkward place. They were huddled in Clark's bed again since he wasn't allowed out of the Kent farm for at least another day. He'd been subtly watching Clark's muscles flex under his shirt when his eyes shifted to Clark's closed lids.

"Clark..." Clark peered one eye open to tell Bruce he was listening. Taking it as permission he posed his question by half straddling the man and encouraging him to kiss back. Impossibly smooth lips opened up after a second of hesitation and Bruce took the fleeting moment of acceptance to use every skill he had. He nipped and sucked as best he knew how until Clark was moaning into his mouth and clutching him tight. It was only then that he lifted off and watched as Clark's eyes burned behind his lids "Incredible," He stroked gently near one and felt the heat on his fingers.

Clark seemed to realise what Bruce had done, or what he had lost control of since he turned away. Almost pushing Bruce off the bed as he climbed up and straightened out at the headboard "The lighting in this place..." Clark sighed as Bruce gave him his best 'come on' look. "Please don't tell anyone."

"Why would I do that?" It seemed stupid.

"Why wouldn't you do that?" Clark countered as if he actually didn't know why someone would keep an ability like that to themselves.

"For one there's the government. They aren't exactly happy with anything out of their perception of the norm. One mention of glowing eyes and you'd be shipped off, and I don't want that to happen," He growled, making his double meaning as plain as possible. "Then there's Lionel. He's probably the closest threat you have to worry about. That man will do anything to possess something which could make him superior to others. After that there are thousands of other reasons but the one I think you want to hear is that I just don't want to. I like knowing things, but telling them is a whole other matter so don't worry. Your secret is safe with me," He promised.

Clark still didn't look like he trusted him but he didn't look like he would bolt at any moment which was something. "Why did you do that? Was it just- How did you even know kissing me would-"

Bruce coughed uncomfortably "You really need to be more careful," He mumbled "Talia has spies everywhere." Clark motioned for more information "She kind of tried to get me to make a move on you and got me some inspiration to do so..." He tried to communicate what exactly that information was but Clark was either really innocent or Bruce was just bad at hinting at things "She gave me a picture of you tossing off in your barn."

"Oh God," Bruce nodded.

"Your eyes were glowing and I could tell it wasn't a flare. I figured arousal triggered it," Clark was hiding in his hands. "So what else can you do?"

"Else?" That got him out of hiding.

"Well, I saw you lift a guy like he was nothing. Bend a gun the same so I'm guessing you're strong?" He ran a finger down one of Clark's arms, feeling the muscles bunch under his finger.

"When did you- How much do you know?"

"Not much. But I'd like it if you told me. Saves having to stalk you some more," He tried to make the situation more light hearted by grinning. "I'm guessing you're not native to here. Martha mentioned you were adopted earlier, are you from Europe? No," he answered his own question "because then I would know what that language was. Damian wrote some of the symbols out for what I was translating. None of it looked like anything I've seen..."

"You are spookily good at this," Clark commented. Withdrawing into himself with every word Bruce spoke.

"I'm not going to out you Clark," He repeated "Why can't you believe me?"

"You keep digging. Just leave it as it is and I'll believe you," Clark bargained.

Bruce frowned. So close to the truth he didn't want to give up. There was only one thing he could do since Clark had opened up negotiations "Or I can tell you about how Talia and I broke up. One story for another and I promise, my story's not as boring as it might seem."

Clark looked to be considering his offer "I thought you already told me why you broke up with her. Not the right body parts as I recall."

"True," Bruce agreed "But that wasn't really an issue. I left because she did something unforgivable. Something you'll find out if you tell me about your powers."

"It's odd that you aren't freaking out about me," Clark muttered "Have you met someone like me before?" Bruce shrugged. Clark sighed "Alright. Fine..."

The next half hour was filled with Clark telling him everything he knew about himself. The speed, strength and other powers he had gotten throughout the years. He told about himself being an alien (that had Bruce reeling, then intrigued and asking for more information) and how he came to earth in the first place. By the end Bruce was coming up with plans about what he would do in Clark's fortress because he was definitely being shown it before he left Smallville.

Eventually it came to Bruce's turn "I met Talia when I went travelling," Clark pulled a face, the information one he already knew "This is important so listen! I met Talia when I went travelling. I wanted to better myself, become stronger in my mind and body so I sought out people who shared my beliefs. They lived further afield than Gotham and on one of these trips I came to a monastery. I stayed with it for a while and learnt all I could from my master when Talia came visiting. She was acting on behalf of her father to bestow the monastery with some protection from... I dunno actually, it's not important. The point is I was enraptured with this woman and she felt the same. She visited a couple more times before asking if I would like to train with her back at her own organisation. To be honest that was what had me agreeing. A chance to see this woman and train at the same time seemed to be a once in a lifetime thing so I went immediately. Turned out that it was an assassins guild. I didn't see much of Talia in the next couple of months but I did meet her father. He liked me, my dedication and willpower to learn, and often he would train with me. It was such an honour, I felt awful when I found out I'd impregnated his daughter, a fact I didn't even know until she went 'father this is my beloved who has given me the honour of an heir for you.'" Clark laughed at the tone he put on. "He was happy for us though so it wasn't that bad. I missed three nights sleep but that's nothing in the league.

So anyway, Damian was born and we trained him together. For a while I forgot all about going back home. Being with Talia and Damian was everything I wanted and I never thought I would give that up. But a couple years later Talia started complaining about her father. Saying how he was controlling and that she wanted to get away from under his rule. I didn't know that she was serious until there were guards leading Ra's into our chamber and she was calling us into her father's old one. She'd organised a coup and planned to have Ra's killed the following morning. I hadn't signed on for that. Killing someone... I can't do it. Ra's trained me for years and I never gave into his commands. He respected that of me just as I respected what he did. Which was why I broke him out of his prison.

The man's a fighter Clark. He could take down the whole league if he wanted, it was only the shock of having his blood betray him and the shame of defeat that kept him pliant. I had ordered Damian to stay in our room as I helped Ra's reclaim the league. We had and I split off to get Damian, we were going to help him rebuild it but Talia stood in my way. She didn't like the fact that I went behind her back as she had went behind mine and we duelled. She's skilled in combat but I had the upper hand up until the moment Damian came out of our chambers. I told him to go back and let my guard down. She got me in the back," He pulled his shirt up to where the bat wings were hiding a long scar stretching across his skin. "and had guards restrain Damian. He was only young and didn't understand that Talia wasn't going to kill me. Years of training had him snapping the guards necks in seconds. I can never forgive Talia for that. It was as much my fault for keeping him in that environment as hers but she had always taught him no restraint when it came to a fight. She made him a killer that night. As soon as I was able to move I knocked her down and took Damian out of there.

We've been running away from that life and towards my slightly better one in Gotham ever since. It's not going to perfect but if it means Damian won't kill anyone... he's too young to have blood on his hands," Clark nodded in agreement.

"So you're an assassin?" Bruce nodded. "That explains a few things."

"If it makes you feel any better out of the two of us I'm the one people fear the most. After all I don't think aliens have been proved yet," Clark grinned.

"Does Dick know any of this?" Bruce shook his head "You're gonna have to tell him."

"Later. I want to know if he plans on staying with us first."

"Of course he will," Clark argued.

"It's his choice. I'm not going to force him to stay if he doesn't want to," Even if he really wanted him to.

They lapsed into silence for a while. The information they had both shared floating between them and filling in any gaps they had about the others lives. Bruce didn't know when he drifted off and woke to see Clark gone and replaced by Dick wrapped tightly around his middle.

The kitchen was absent with the Kents outside watching Damian and Clark ride horses. Dick did idle handstands and cartwheels as they joined them. Bruce sharing a small smile when Clark looked over at him. Things felt easier between them with no more secrets.

Clark led the horses in as Damian went chasing after Shelby. Dick was vying for Clark's attention and got a piggyback ride for his efforts.

"Nice sleep?" He greeted.

Bruce hummed agreement before telling him "You realise every time I see you now I'm going to be thinking about that picture Talia gave me."

"What does that have to do with a nice sleep?" Clark asked. Dick frowned down from Clark's shoulders, lost in the conversation they were having.

"What doesn't it?" Bruce countered as Clark stopped and peered off towards the Kent's drive.

A sleek black car pulled in seconds later and a dishevelled Lionel followed by a shouting Lex exited the car.

"Haven't you done enough!" Lex yelled. Bruce grabbed Dick from Clark's shoulders and ran to find Damian as Lionel strode forwards.

He had thought his target was Clark or one of the Kents but his intent was clear when Lionel called "Just a moment."

"Yes?" Bruce spat handing Dick off and making pointed motions to Clark to find Damian.

"Now there's no need to take that tone," Lionel started. Self righteous in tone as usual and doing his best to look down at Bruce. It didn't help that he had to wear one of Clark's too large shirts that day since his own clothes were back at Lex's "If anyone should be offended it's me. Sending someone to threaten me in my own home!"

"I keep telling you it wasn't him!" Lex threw in.

"Even if it was I had every right," Bruce argued back "You poisoned me. Don't even try to deny it, men like yourself should at least have the honour of taking credit for their own work."

Lionel started "That was not my doing. I've told Lex, it was probably-"

"Oh please," Lex groaned "I've had enough of you pawning this off to someone else. You did it! Everyone knows you did."

"Lex," Lionel warned. He turned back to Bruce. Still in control and cool as always "Now back to the matter at hand. You sent someone to threaten me and I'm telling you now it's not going to work."

"Threaten you? No Mr Luther I didn't send someone to threaten you. I do that fine by myself," It had to have been Talia. Lana probably told her after Lex gave his excuses. "But since you insist it was me that sent that threat I'll rise up to your expectations of me and deliver one of my own. I don't like being poisoned Mr Luther. I don't like being tricked by a coward who's too afraid to do his own dirty work so I'll say this; if you try something like that again I will tear down everything you have worked for. Don't believe I can? I've been sleeping with your son for longer than you've been aware of. I know your ins and outs, every secret Lex has known or you left unguarded I've taken care to learn them. All it would take is one phone call and you're done. Now leave," he strode away without a backwards glance. His point was made and right now he needed to find Damian.

Clark told him when Lionel drove away. They were hiding in the Kent's living room as Jonathan muttered curses under his breath from the doorway. His hatred of Lionel had grown with every admission of poison Lex and himself had made to them. At least one good thing about his stay at Smallville would be that if he was ever in trouble the Kents would take him in again. One stint with Lionel had Jonathan guarding the door like a bloodhound.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side," Clark murmured dragging Dick from pestering the dog more.

"Just like I'm supposed to remind you not to fall in love with me," He mentioned, recalling that day Clark had said as much in the Talon "If so then I'd like to decline. Breaking one promise is bad enough. Two..."

Clark huffed a laugh as a blush rose "I'm not in love with you," he argued.

"Yet."


	10. Chapter 10

It took another two days for him to convince the Kents he was fine. They were adamant that being poisoned meant he was to be pampered for a month at least which was something he couldn't allow to happen. For one he had to get back to work, not seeing Talia had him nervous. For another he didn't know how long he could last without jumping Clark again.

Feeling like his old self once the fatigue of his dead blood being purged was gone meant he was volunteering to help with anything and everything the Kents could think of. It put him in their good books since he wasn't a stranger to hard work like some rich boys but it also meant he was working alongside Clark. Knowing his secret meant that when the boys weren't around Clark would show off slightly in front of him. Lifting things an impossible weight and setting them down again like they weighed nothing. That, coupled with the fact he was such a country boy it was irresistible, had him near drooling.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" He called. Clark shook his head and chopped another log into splinters. Why the Kents needed firewood when it was so hot was a mystery but he wasn't complaining. With each stroke Clark's muscles flexed under his loose shirt and even rose up when he tired of the axe and just smashed the log with his bare hands.

"Can I have a go?" Dick asked. He was already tottering over to Clark to remove the axe from the hesitant teens hands despite what Bruce would have said.

Damian appeared not long after and squirmed his way onto Bruce's lap to watch Clark give Dick his first wood chopping lesson. "I saw mother yesterday," He confessed.

Bruce saw Clark falter slightly in his teachings before resuming. He was listening to them then. "Did she approach you?" If she was allowing Damian to see her then she must want something.

"No. I don't think she will, not while you say no," Clark was cocking his head slightly to the side. Bruce was going to have to teach him to be more subtle in his eavesdropping.

"If you want to-"

"No," Bruce nodded. He understood better than anyone why he didn't want to see Talia. "I think she was looking for you. Have you been talking?"

"Kind of," he backtracked to the last thing he'd actually told Damian about his mother. It seemed he'd left quite a bit out. Switching to German he informed Damian of the meetings in the Talon and Talia's befriending of Lana. Damian didn't seem surprised. Nor was he angry that Bruce had kept this from him.

"Anything that's not a threat is boring," He informed Bruce.

"Well you're going to have to be bored. The way things are going I think your mother might be open to a treaty. If that works then we won't have to worry about moving before settling in Gotham," Damian pulled a face at the lack of action and left Bruce on the porch to get Clark to let him have a go.

He managed to sneak off after dinner that night, feigning an illness he holed himself up in Clark's room before he made his escape out of the window. Talia was surprisingly easy to find. Hiding in a tree not far from the Kent's farm he only had to hop up until they were both in each other's space.

He didn't know what he expected from her. When he was in the league he'd been poisoned on a near daily basis to build up an immunity to some of the more exotic toxins out there. Once again Talia shocked him by pulling him in for a hug and a not quite chaste kiss.

"I didn't know what to expect," She breathed pulling back from him "To think that some common man has the audacity to poison you beloved."

"Well I'm fine," He assured. "Which is more than I can say for Lionel, who you can't threaten again. You almost blew everything Talia. If he realizes who I am it doesn't put me back into your hands. It means that I'm back in the public eye, under his command because I've been living off his son's generosity for these past couple months. If I'm revealed there's no going back to what we were," He insisted. She turned her head to stare off into the Kent's farm. Eyes hard as his words correlated to what she already knew.

"It was a moment of weakness."

"Once which can't happen again. If any one of your father's teachings should have stuck it should have been to show no weakness Talia," He could see what caught her attention as Damian climbed to higher ground. He must have known Bruce wasn't at the farm.

"I know," they both watched as Damian caught sight of them. Bruce waved to show he was fine. "How is he?"

"He doesn't want to see you," He answered. That was what she was really asking and it was then that he realised what else could have happened in the result of his death. Alone, Damian would have been forced to go back with Talia. The fact he still refused to even see her left Bruce questioning what would have happened had that situation come about. There was no telling what would have happened to Dick.

"And your paramour?" He detected slight jealousy.

"Not quite there yet, and I'd thank you to keep out of my love life. That picture was most helpful but unnecessary," She smirked slightly.

"Are you sure you don't want to see the video?" Bruce glared at her and she met his challenge. "Very well," She conceded. "I shouldn't complain, you are after all just taking my advice."

He scoffed "Hardly. For one, even if I did get with Clark I'm not coming back with you." As usual the statement didn't register in Talia's mind. "Speaking of," He saw Clark come out of the farm house and call for Damian to come off the barn roof. "I'd best be getting back. I have vengeance to plan after all."

Talia grinned all teeth, a smile he was all too familiar with "If you need help..." he grinned back and jumped from the tree.

Damian hopped off the barn roof as soon as he saw Bruce enter the farm. He didn't speak to him until they were back in the Kent's house and even then was disappointed that it was a truce like Bruce had predicted.

"But she didn't actually say she was leaving us alone," Damian pointed out.

"No. She's not dragging us back either though. For now we just need to focus on cementing our roots and hope that she'll leave when she realises we're not going back with her,"

The next day he left the farm to journey to the Talon. Clark had been in the midst of a water fight with the boys, something that Bruce was all too happy to leave if uncomfortably. Lex was chatting Lana up at the counter and smacked him upside the head when he saw Bruce was out of his little nest.

"You should be resting," He growled as Bruce ordered himself a coffee and asked about the rota. "My father's not left Bruce. If he sees you here he's going to go mental."

"He already is mental. Besides I can't hide forever," No doubt his threat to Lionel had him hanging around Lex none stop to try and see what his son let slip to Bruce. "If I did it would mean he wins."

Lex rolled his eyes, too used to Bruce's philosophy to argue any more. Instead he tried to take his mind off the fact that Bruce was trying to carry on as normal to continue his association with Lana. Bruce used the Talon's phone to ask Alfred about the takeover in Gotham. It turned out that he now owned half of his company. Another quarter and he could go back and take the rest in person. Alfred estimated another two weeks at most before that happened which put things in perspective for Bruce.

He had two weeks left in Smallville. Suddenly there seemed to be hardly any time at all. He needed to do so much before going back. There was only one solution to his problems which was that he needed time to think.

Taking his coffee to go he found one of Smallville's idyllic fields and set into his meditation routine. A plan for Lionel was first. He needed to get back at him but in a way that wouldn't seem ungrateful to Lex. Ideally he would have sabotaged his buisness but Lionel's buisness was Lex's. He'd have to try something else. An idea came to him but it would take some convincing and a lot planning to pull it off.

Lionel finished he turned to other problems. Dick particularly. The boy was just staying with them because he was the best option the boy had. It wasn't fair that when the investigation cooled down Dick would more than likely be taken from him, or worse, want to leave on his own accord. The best option would be to adopt him.

Then there was Clark. Bruce wanted to jump him at least once before he left. It seemed wrong to do it now though. He'd just broken up with Lana not so long ago and even if she had moved on it didn't mean Clark had for all his bravado. Then there was the fact that he didn't even know if Clark liked men. He liked Bruce, that was for certain. Whether that continued into wanting him as much as Bruce wanted him to was another matter. Clark was still in the confused questioning phase of his discovery and Bruce didn't have time to wait it out with him. He was either going to have to do something drastic or leave Clark behind him. It was difficult to decide which so Bruce resolved he would try both. If Clark hadn't come around by his deadline then he was done with him.

By the time he had sorted his thoughts out it was well past noon. The boys were helping Jonathan sow the fields and quickly pulled Bruce into helping when they spotted him.

They were out for a good few hours before Martha called them in and Dick had started itching the back of his neck ten minutes beforehand. Bruce had a bad feeling about the red forming and it only got worse as Dick scratched more and more through dinner. By nine it was an unhealthy shade and was easily diagnosed as sunburn. Rubbing lotion on a fussy nine year old was tough but Bruce had raised Damian and encountered worse things than Dick whining and squirming around.

The Kents retired to bed after Dick needed another application of lotion since he rubbed the last one off. They practically ordered Bruce to go to bed when he was done with Dick since he was still on bed rest and kissed Clark goodnight.

"Are actually coming up soon or shall I warm the bed on my own?" Bruce didn't know whether that was double layered and decided to answer the simplest way possible.

"I have to get Dami changed. You go up," The grin didn't leave Clark's face as he said goodbye to the boys so Bruce guessed that Clark hadn't heard the underlying layer in his question. He managed to get Dick safely into bed with the promise not to scratch before he turned to Damian. The boy had already washed up and it was just a matter of putting him in pyjama's. "Please?" he tried to be civil.

"No," It took fifteen minutes and a chase through the barn for Bruce to offer his own shirt instead of Damian's pyjama's. He seemed more inclined to wear that "It's loose," He argued and had the nerve to insist on being carried back to the farm house.

Before they got there Bruce doubled back to the barn and set Damian down in the hayloft. He sat down in front of him, making sure that there was definitely no one listening as he did so. "Dami I have something to ask you and I want you to really consider what you say before you agree or disagree with me," Intrigued Damian gave Bruce his full attention "I want you to ask Dick to stay with us."

"Is he leaving?" It made him smile to think that Dick had wormed his way into Damian's life as well as his won.

"He might be. See, the reason he's still here is because it's not safe for him to stay in Gotham unprotected. But when things cool down they're going to want to put him in an orphanage," Damian made a face.

"He said he doesn't want to go to one. Why would they put him in one if he doesn't want to go?"

"That's the thing. I know I haven't treated you like one a lot but you are a child Damian and so is Dick. As far as the law's concerned you have no say in what's good for you. I _want_ to adopt him. My motives are selfish. I like him being part of our family and I know that if he stays with us he's not going to have a normal life but I don't want him to go. It's not just about me though, you have a say in this too and so does he. I want you to really think about this Damian. Do you want Dick to be your brother?"

It pleased him that Damian didn't answer right away. Impulse wasn't always what someone wanted and Bruce had always taught Damian to evaluate things from every angle.

They were in that barn for fifteen minutes before Damian answered a quiet "Yes." Head up and eyes meeting his own as he relayed what he really wanted.

"I do too. So I need you to ask him to stay. I can't do it, if I did then I would always feel like he was obeying me instead of doing what he wanted. But you-," Damian nodded.

"I'll do it," He agreed.

Pact made he gladly carried Damian back into the farmhouse "Make sure you ask him soon," Bruce whispered "We don't have much time."

He had a shift at the Talon the next day and left the boys in the care of Martha who was running the farm since Jonathan and Clark had journeyed to Metropolis for supplies. Lucky for him Lex had been in and out of the Talon constantly for days in the distraction of Lana. Since the lady herself was counting money next to him Bruce had his hopes up high and wasn't disappointed as his friend strolled through the door.

He still glared at Bruce in a greeting but seemed in a better mood than yesterday. "Father's went to the factory today," He explained. "Thought you might have compromised my office and went for a check." The day to himself was the perfect opportunity to get Lex on board with his idea.

"How superstitious is your father?" He proposed.

They spent the better half of the afternoon mapping out their plans. It would take a couple of months but Bruce was willing to commute to pull this off. Lionel deserved everything they threw at him.

Whilst they schemed Bruce couldn't help but notice the effort Lana was putting in to catch Lex's attention. She gave up after a while of being subtle and went straight for it when they lapsed in their conversation.

"Talia's just came in. Why don't you talk to her?" She asked Bruce. Indeed she had walked in with Lois and Chloe in tow.

"I'd rather not," He waved off. Lana frowned.

"I thought you two liked each other?" Lex arched an eyebrow at the mention of Talia and Bruce just sent him a meaningful look to explain later.

"Turns out that isn't the case," Somehow Lana had slipped herself into Lex's eye line and subtly pushed Bruce away from it.

"Shame. Well can you take their order anyway?" Bruce could physically feel the hint she was giving him to go elsewhere.

"I would but I think Mr Luther needs a top up," He refused to be pushed out. They were doing important planning here.

She seemed to change tactics and leave them to go over to Chloe. He kept one eye on her as they finalised the details.

After one long conversation she was back with an odd glint in her eye "I was thinking, Chloe's looking after Steve, a friend's son, tomorrow. She's stuck babysitting him and I offered to help but I'm on shift, so I thought maybe you could bring the boys. I'm sure they would love playing with him in the back and it would do us both a huge favour."

"Sure," He agreed.

Which was how he found himself watching the three of them colour for a while before being called back in to the front.

"I'm sure they're fine," Lex reassured. "If you want I can go check on them?"

Bruce shook his head "It's not that. There's something odd about Steve."

That perked Lex's interest "What kind of odd?"

Bruce thought back on the boy "He seems a little pale... and muddy."

Lex walked behind the counter to peer in the back "He seems clean to me."

"Not that kind of muddy. Just, clogged. You know? Like how women look sometimes when they... Oh no," He pushed past Lex and made a grab for Steve. His fears were confirmed when make up peeled off his skin and revealed small spots covering his arm. "Dick! Dami!" He hadn't ran so fast in his life.

It only took hours for the first spots to appear. By midnight Dick had oven mits taped to his hands and the woolliest socks the Kent's had on his feet after he tried to scratch himself with his toes. Damian had taken to meditating the itching away. Bruce got worried when the boy stopped moving altogether and was promptly sick.

His fretting had woke Clark and at the sight of him helping Damian to the sink he took over watching Dick. Bruce was forced to call in sick to the Talon as the sun rose up and in the end quit altogether. He wasn't going to be here much longer and he was going to be paid another weeks wages anyway.

"They need a bath," Martha counselled and had one drawn in minutes. "Clark never got them when he was a boy," She remarked calling for Jonathan "One less thing to worry about when we realised he never got sick."

Jonathan took on Dick while he alternated between holding Damian over the toilet and scrubbing him too. "Make sure to... Oh God," Bruce didn't think anything could get worse until Jonathan revealed spots behind Dick's ears. In his hair and worst of all in his mouth.

"Dickie don't talk," he cooed when the boy started crying from the pain. "I swear I'm going to kill her," he growled as he towelled Damian off.

"It wasn't Lana's fault. She didn't know Steve had the measles," Bruce wondered how Lana had tricked them all into this state of disbelief. He didn't think she was the kind of girl to stoop as low as this but it appears he was wrong.

"She did," Bruce insisted "She didn't like the fact that I was taking up Lex's time so she used germ warfare to get me out of the game."

"Nonsense," She was good.

"There was make up on him Mr Kent. Either she or Chloe knew he was contagious and kept quiet. This is an attack and there is nothing you can say that will convince me otherwise," He didn't even try to put Damian into pyjama's. The boy was too ill to scratch and just lay in Bruce's lap when he brought them both downstairs. Dick had taken to rubbing his butt on the ground once his tears had dried up so Clark had to sit him in his lap.

Day two was even worse than day one. Damian's stomach had recovered but Dick's took a turn for the worst. He spent the better half of that day in the Kent's bathroom rubbing Dick's back as he threw up. It didn't help that the spots had grown in his mouth so Dick was practically screaming after ten minutes.

He stayed with both of them downstairs that night in case anything bad happened. By day three he hadn't slept in two days and was feeling it as Lex dropped by.

"How are they?" His friend had refused to step inside of the 'contaminated' house.

"Ill. You're going to have to start without me if they keep up like this," Bruce warned.

"Eugh," He pulled a face and hesitantly peered around inside of the house "Are you sure you can't load them off to Mr and Mrs Kent? Clark even?"

"They're not their kids," Bruce said.

Lex nodded "I'm sure I can pull if off without you if it comes to it. Make sure you get some sleep. You look just as bad as them," He advised and made a quick exit.

He was reading the boys one of Clark's science books to make them fall asleep when the man himself padded into the room "I can look after them. If something happens I'll wake you."

Bruce shook his head "It's fine."

"You haven't slept in days. Just take a break and get some sleep yourself," He still refused.

"You don't understand. Dami wasn't raised like you and me. If he's not feeling well he doesn't tell you. I need to be here," Clark nodded but didn't leave. Instead he took the book out of Bruce's hands and carried on where Bruce had left off.

He must have dozed for a couple of hours. When he woke he was in Clark's lap with fingers carding through his hair. Dick was gone but Damian was still asleep as Clark started on chapter 5 of whatever he was reading.

"He's went to the bathroom," Clark informed him. Bruce let himself relax back into Clark's lap and listened to him drone on as Dick came and settled next to him.

The spots had started going down on the fifth day. Baths twice a day and Bruce had to make sure Dick was securely mitted before letting him roam the Kent farm. Tonight was the night he was meant to put his plan into motion but he didn't think he could leave the boys for even an hour.

"You can go," Damian told him. It was nearing two and they were curled up near the fireplace "Clark can read us that boring book again."

"I'm not leaving you when you're ill," Dick stopped attempting to stand on his hands with oven mittens to come over to them. He poked Damian gently but repeatedly and pointed at the both of them.

"Yes," He said in English. "Not going."

Dick frowned and pointed to Bruce then the door. "I'm not leaving you," He repeated. Dick just scowled deeper and tried dragging Bruce up "Lex can do it without me."

Dick turned to Damian with hands on his hips "Lionel deserves it to come from you father. It's not really your vengeance if Luther puts it into motion."

"If they're telling you to leave then I think you should," Clark piped in. Seeming to appear from nowhere he had already taken Damian off him and settled down with Dick cuddling into his side. "Don't worry, I'll have them asleep before you come back. If you're lucky Lionel might not have had the measles," Clark tried.

It was the idea of Lionel with spots that finally had him leaving. He got to the Luther mansion in at half past which was enough time to group with Lex and do a supply check.

"You drugged his food?" Lex nodded.

"He's out," they set off for his room with Lex telling him that the camera's had been offline since Bruce threatened him "He thinks you might have used them to listen in on our conversations."

"Hmm. Smart," Bruce relented as he picked the lock with ease.

"Too bad it's just causing him more bad luck huh," Lex grinned

He quickly opened the doors as Bruce dragged Lionel out and into the fields of Smallville. They worked quickly to drench his hands and body in cows blood bought from the butchers and Lex set out the dead animals he'd found in the woods around him. Tearing his clothes and adding the finishing touch of mud to his skin they left him to return to their respective apartments.

"You remember what you have to say?" Lex nodded. They had went over the story countless times. Lex was to say he heard growling and howling which would play back to the bite he'd gotten earlier that week. By noon he should suspect lycanthropy.

"I hope to God this works."

"Me too. And if not tonight we'll just use the next three months to convince him otherwise," He waved goodbye to Lex when it came to the fork in the road and went back to his ailing children.

True to his word, Clark had the boys asleep when he got back. Bruce quickly washed up and changed before joining them.

"Did it work?" Bruce shrugged.

"We'll know tomorrow." He brushed a stray lock from Dick's hair "I'm leaving soon. Alfred's almost got everything ready for my return. It shouldn't be more than a week."

"Oh," Clark said after a while. Bruce chanced a look at him and found unearthly blues staring back at him. "Does Lex know?" he nodded "Oh," Clark repeated.

He got up from his nest on the floor to sit next to Clark. The teen seemed to be struggling with words and started one sentence only to cut off in the middle and start another. "I'm still going to visit but Smallville was always just a temporary stop."

"Oh," It seemed that was the most articulate thing Clark could say at the moment. That and "Bruce?"

"Yes?"

Clark opened his mouth again to ask something but like before he couldn't get anything out. Deciding on something he cupped Bruce's cheek and kissed him.


	11. Chapter 11

Bruce broke off and glanced back at the boys "You can hear when they wake up right?" Clark nodded.

Not wasting any time he pulled Clark up and sprinted out the Kent's house towards the barn. By the time Clark had climbed the last of the steps he was down to his briefs and a swift kick had them off.

"Don't you think we shoul-"

Bruce cut him off "I'm only here for another week. Do you honestly want to dance around the subject or let me show you now what you've been missing out on?"

Clark's stuttered "I guess," was all the consent he needed to pull the teen onto the sofa. Straddling his thighs he made quick work of Clark's shirt, biting along his jaw and to his neck as he did so. Bruce decided there was nothing better than Clark's skin. He bit and kissed as much of it as he could, enjoying the way it gave but didn't break under his teeth. It seemed he wasn't the only one enjoying the exploration since Clark was moaning with every swipe he made across his collarbone.

"We're gonna have to be quick," He warned around one of Clark's nipples "Do you have any lube?"

The space Clark occupied became air momentarily before he was back with a tube in hand. "We aren't going to do anything too... adventurous tonight are we?" The nerves in his voice had Bruce pausing.

"No," He decided "I'll just give you a taste."

He yanked Clark's jeans off, making him sit back so he could get a good grip on his cock. A few tugs had Clark's head hitting the back of the sofa. Bruce continued where he left off and sucked would be marks down the planes of Clark's stomach. Stopping at his thighs he nosed side of Clark's length before taking the head in his mouth. The sound Clark made was amazing and inspired Bruce to see what other sounds he could pull out of him. Bobbing his head and moaning when he got to the root he listened and adjusted his technique to how Clark liked it. Bruce hadn't realised how off his game he was until he caught the time of Clark's watch, usually he had his partners begging by now. Adjusting yet again he caught sight of Clark's clenched hands. He could see where they had bit into the sofa underneath him and it made him smile inside. It seemed it wasn't him off his game, Clark just had more willpower than Bruce had anticipated.

Pulling off he looked up to Clark's face. Eyes closed and lip near close to bleeding with the way he was biting into it. "Do you want to try it?"

Eyes started open and became wary when he realised what Bruce was asking "I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Do want to?" He asked again. Clark eyed Bruce's cock and nodded slightly. Smiling Bruce pulled Clark's thighs in closer "This way we'll both enjoy it." Using Clark's thighs as leverage he lifted himself up into a perfect handstand. Lowering himself he took Clark back in his mouth and waited as tentative hands ran over his stomach and thighs before settling on his cock. His hands shuddered as a tongue ran itself along his length. Twisting his own tongue around Clark's length he nipped at the head and pushed his hips forwards, giving him the okay to try it. "I'm not marking you for technique," Clark chuckled and cupped Bruce's hips to pull him into Clark's warm mouth.

They both settled into a rhythm and as Clark grew more confident Bruce balanced himself on one hand to retrieve the tube of lube next to one of Clark's thighs. Pushing the one he wasn't balanced on further away he coated his fingers liberally and pulled off Clark's length to drag questioning fingers over his pucker. Clark didn't tell him no or push him off. In fact he lowered himself further onto the sofa to allow Bruce to dip his finger past the ring of muscle. He went back to Clark's neglected cock as he stretched his hole. Pushing two in and making sure Clark was off his own cock as he searched for-

"Oh God!" Smirking he worked his fingers in time with his mouth until Clark was clutching his hips hard enough to bruise and he had to pull off or choke to death.

Righting himself he straddled Clark's thighs again and pulled his slack mouth into a gentle kiss. "Good?" He didn't get a reply but felt fingers running up and down his back. "Do you mind if I...?" he made his problem clear. Clark glanced down and put his hand between them to bring Bruce off. He didn't last longer than a couple of strokes and gladly joined Clark in post orgasmic bliss. "Congratulations," he muttered when he could "You've just done a sixty-nine."

Clark laughed "Shut up." Some time later they retrieved their clothes and made their way back into the Kent's house. Bruce washed up and found Clark almost passed out on the sofa when he got back. "How bendy are you?"

"Quite," he answered "If you have a copy of the Karma Suture I'm able to do every position." A questioning eyebrow was sent his way "You're not the first one to ask how bendy I am."

They sat in silence for a while. Bruce checked on the boy's fever every now and then, swearing revenge when one of them was too hot. "Does this mean we're dating?" Clark asked.

"I don't know. Are you willing to commute to Gotham every time you want to see me?" Clark frowned.

"We probably shouldn't have done that," He muttered.

"No, we probably should have done that sooner," Bruce countered. "Do you honestly regret it?" Clark kept quiet but the way he was eyeing Bruce spoke volumes. No, he didn't regret it. "How about we just take this one week at a time. It's not like it's that long to Gotham anyway. Especially with your you know what," Clark blushed at the mention of his powers.

They didn't end up having time to themselves the next day. With the fevers down the boys were getting restless being cooped up all day. Dick still couldn't talk which led to many time outs since he ended up throwing things in frustration. Damian was like an angel in comparison. Years of bearing pain in silence had him dutifully sitting his illness out.

"Why don't we bake some muffins?" Mrs Kent suggested. Dick perked up at the idea and turned puppy eyes on Bruce from his time out.

"I don't know, will you be good?" Dick nodded and didn't even wait for Bruce to say yes. He tottered into the kitchen and waited by the counter for Mrs Kent.

"What about you Damian?" He shook his head. Mrs Kent went to go do damage control in the kitchen as Bruce checked Damian's head again.

"Could you stop cursing Lana," Clark called. He was watching them with a grin on his face. "I'm sure it was just an accident." Bruce scoffed at the unlikelihood of that.

The door went around six after the fire alarm had stopped screaming. Lex was smiling like a madman and didn't even care that Bruce had a contagious Damian in his arms.

"I take it went well?" Lex smiled wider.

"He checked the feeds, then remembered he had stopped them. You should have seen the look on his face Bruce, it was just..." Bruce smiled with him "I can't wait until next month." Lex finally noticed the sick boy next to him when Damian cleared his throat. "How are you?"

Damian just glared " He's recovering. "Dick has the worst of it. I swear to God I'm going to maim Lana when I get my hands on her."

"Lana? Are you sure?" There was that disbelieving expression again.

"Yes. She's the one who suggested letting them play with that infestation in the first place. All because she couldn't try and seduce you," he growled.

"Be nice!" Clark called, obviously listening into their conversation "Like I said I think it was an accident." He came to the door "Lana would never infect a child just so she could sleep with someone, she's not like that."

"Everyone's like that. It's just some people are more obvious than others about it," Lex looked like he agreed with Bruce on that but still he defended Lana.

"Still, Clark has a point. In all fairness it could have been someone else that put that make-up on the kid," Bruce rolled his eyes at their blindness. "Do you mind if we change the subject. I don't feel right having this conversation in front of..." he nodded to Damian. The boy just glared back. Bruce knew he hated being left out of conversations just because people thought he was 'too young.'

"Do you have my things packed?" He had been living off Clark's things since he got there.

"Yes. Slightly unnerving your knife to clothes ratio but it's all there," Lex reassured. "Will the boys be alright to travel?"

"Alfred hasn't phoned yet. I'm hoping they'll be fine when he does. If they aren't..." He could probably cajole Clark into taking them to the Manor really fast while he took their things in one of Lex's cars. "I'm sure I can work something out."

"Well when the call does come... the car's all ready," Bruce started.

"You sound like you're not going to wave me off," Lex cringed "You're not going to wave me off?"

"Bruce," He bit his lip trying to bring the words together "This is going to sound so... but last time I didn't wave you off and here you are. I feel like if I do, maybe you won't come back next time. It was bad enough losing you once."

It was probably the first time Bruce realised that Lex had missed him. He had thought Bruce dead. They had been close when they were younger, that was what happened when two outsiders met. For Lex to have lost that connection must have been hard.

He tried to make light of the revelation. If Lex wasn't going to see him off he didn't want their goodbye to be sombre. "Well at least next time you see me I won't be sponging off you. Alfred can make us something nice as you regale us with Lionel's latest fad." It worked to put a grin on his friends face. He shifted Damian in his arms and held his hand out "Til next time."

Lex shook it "Don't die before I get there."

Back in the Kent farm it was a long afternoon of trying to coax Dick to eat something. Ice cream was decided on at last with the boy helping himself to four bowls before Bruce shooed him off. It was relatively relaxed as he set the boys to bed and he was even more relaxed once he had kidnapped Clark to the barn again.

They were lying on the barn floor amidst Clark's knocked over things. Bruce was trying his best to leave some kind of mark on Clark's skin and after so many failed attempts to used a marker to write his name as clearly as he could instead.

"Do you think I should tell Lex about my powers?" The question was unexpected until he looked up. Clark was fixating on a scorch mark he'd made a couple of minutes ago and Bruce could see how his pondering of his powers could lead him down that path.

"No."

"Why not?" Clark turned towards him, knocking Bruce's attempts to complete his 'c'. "You're his friend. You trust him."

"Yes but I wouldn't tell him," He tried to nudge Clark back but he wouldn't budge. The question written on Clark's face told him he wasn't going to finish his name until he offered a better response. "I trust Lex and yes we're friends. But only so far. I haven't told him half the things I've told you. He knows me because we're similar. We're smart and when we were younger we banded together to escape what was going on around us. But just because we're friends doesn't mean he should know everything about me and definitely not about you. It's true he's fond of you but even I have my guard up around him. He's a Luthor whether he likes it or not and some things Lionel has ingrained within him override what Lex would independently do. This is just my opinion but... have you noticed that he tends to change. Small things like what he says or how he thinks, they're familiar but not on Lex."

Clark nodded "I get what you're saying."

Bruce was able to turn Clark's head to reach his 'Bru' "Like I said, that's just my opinion. If you believe you can trust Lex then do so."

He had managed to finish his elegant script when Clark spoke again "It was that island."

"Hmm?"

"He got stranded, there was a plane crash, he was on there for weeks. I think whatever happened to him there stuck with him. He was different before he went... more honest," This was news to Bruce. Tea at the manor was going to be interesting.

"Take care of him when I leave won't you?" Clark nodded "I don't trust him with just Lionel for company. Father or not that man's bad news."

He got the phone call from Alfred on Friday. It was nothing more than a brisk "Everything's in order," and a dial tone to tell him that his time in Smallville was at an end. Thankfully the boys were recovered enough to take a long car journey. He considered giving them sleeping pills to knock them out just in case but decided against it when Clark told him off.

Friday afternoon had the boys washed and pyjama clad, hugging goodbye to the Kents and in Dick's case trying to coerce a couple of treats out of them. Lex's car had came when he rang for it and it was only a matter of bundling the boys in and they were off.

He watched as Martha hauled Shelby off Damian as a shadow blocked some of the sun. "This changes nothing."

He didn't bother looking at Talia since he knew he wouldn't see her if he did. "Actually it does. As soon as I set foot in Gotham I've won. Everything's been arranged; cars, publicity. I have my company back and soon an arsenal enough to ward you off. Damian is with me and I with myself. You have no place with us so I suggest you go home. No doubt your father will be expecting you."

"And Clark? Lana? You're friend Lex? You're just going to leave them here unprotected?" The sneer was evident in her tone.

"They've never been unprotected and you know it. The only reason you're pointing it out is because you know you've lost. Go home Talia."

"This changes nothing," Was the last thing she said before disappearing.

He went over and loaded the boys into the back of the car. Making sure they were comfortable for the long drive and had plenty of things to keep them occupied so he wouldn't be subjected to too much whining.

He got a hug from Martha and a firm handshake from Jonathan as they promised he could come back at any time he wanted. It was an offer he was going to take up. No doubt the boys would be wanting to come back here after all.

Finally there was Clark. He was scheduled to come by the manor next Friday. Despite that it was disconcerting to believe that he wasn't going to be a simple walk away anymore. Clark seemed to realise the same thing.

"Take care of them," He nodded to the car. "Not that it needs saying." Bruce smiled and made sure Clark's parents were inside before kissing him.

"I'll see you soon." He got into the car, smirking at the 'bleh' noises the boys were making from Bruce's sign of affection. Turning back to Clark once more he couldn't help "If you want to stop by the manor before hand, you're more than welcome to. Just watch out for Alfred. The man has sharper ears than you sometimes."

They waved each other off as the car pulled out of the idyllic farm. Dick and Damian were pressed against the windows for one last look as they passed fields and houses that had been their home for the past few months.

"It's going to be worth it," Damian told himself.

"We're going to do some good," Bruce agreed as he himself took one last look at Smallville's sign.

It was a long two hours before their first stop. They practically burst out of the car when they reached the gas station. Bruce shouting at the retreating figures to be careful and come straight back. He bought them ice creams when they did just that and promised to write an apology to Lex when he got his car back after Dick spilled some of his on the seats.

Another hour in the car and Damian had decided a nap was for the best. Bruce spent most of his time playing notes and crosses across Damian's sleeping body with Dick after that. The driver stopped once more for a toilet break by which time Dick had mastered the beginnings of Morse code.

Gotham rose before them in no time. The tall spires and Gothic architecture looking down at them as the car wound its way through streets and buildings. Bruce pointed out his own building to Dick when they passed it and promised to take the two of them there the first time he went.

It was as they passed the GCPD when Bruce took notice of the tapping Dick was making. The only reason it caught his attention was because he had trained himself to find patterns. One tap, then three. Dick was using the Morse code Bruce had taught him to speak what he couldn't say with his mouth.

'I-WANT-TO-STAY-WITH-YOU'.

"Really?" Dick turned from the window and nodded.

He pointed to Damian 'LITTLE-BROTHER' he tapped then pointed to Bruce 'NEW-FAMILY'. Bruce was going to do everything in his power to make what Dick was tapping true. 'HAPPY-WITH-YOU'.

The Manor opened its gates to welcome them back home. Alfred was already waiting and opened the door for the three of them to spill out. Despite Alfred's complaints Bruce did help get his own bags out of the car and sent it off with an apology back to Lex.

Alfred was looking the boys over with a stern eye. "It wasn't my fault," Bruce defended "This girl used germ warfare to get me out of the way." Alfred just tutted and took a bag.

"You'll be pleased to know everything is in order. I have your rooms prepared and there will be a press conference whenever you're ready," they steered the boys up the stairs with Alfred still looking them over "I think we may have some cream if it will be any help."

"Thank you," They came to what used to be his old room, transformed from what he remembered into what he had asked Alfred to do with it. Turning to the boys he nudged them in "I thought it would be best if you shared for a while. This place is too big to sleep alone at first," he was glad to see they were happy with it. It made him feel better that although he was a couple doors down they had each other in the same room in case of nightmares.

Damian jumped slightly on, now his, bed "I suppose it will do. But you're moving out," He pointed. Dick just pulled a face and sat stonily on his own bed.

"Bath then bed," Bruce ordered and heard the two of them moan in annoyance.

"I'll go fetch the cream," Alfred said. Bruce felt him grab his arm as he made his way out and heard the low "It's good to have you home."

It was good to be home, he reflected as he looked at his new life.


End file.
